Unforgettable You
by Clavel
Summary: After years away Hae Soo returns to Seoul hoping the past is behind her. But Soo is not prepared to see the person she hasn't been able to forget: Wang So. Once, Wang So thought he had it all: a nice apartment, a job he enjoyed and a wonderful girlfriend...until said girlfriend vanished without a trace, only to resurface years later with the daughter she kept from him...
1. One: Begin Again

**Hello everyone!**  
 **What can I say? I just couldn't stay away for long!**  
 **LOL**

 **This is the so called "Secret Baby Plot" that I was working at during Nano, I hope you guys enjoy this story.**

 **Thanks so much for taking the time to read this new project, and thanks to Sandy for her endless patience and awesome.**

 **Onto the Story!**

* * *

 **Prologue**

Hae Soo always prided herself on being good and fairly level headed in a crisis. It was what had allowed her to pick up the pieces of her life time and again, whenever her world invariably imploded. And it always did implode: losing her parents at sixteen, having to move out of her cousin's house at twenty thanks to Myung Hee's skeevy new husband; a year working at the Taejo Group; having to leave the love of her life only to find herself broke and pregnant.

She had always made the best of her circumstances. Living with Myung Hee had been wonderful while it lasted. And when Soo truly needed her, she had come through for her. When she left her cousin, Soo had ended up working at the Taejo Group and met So - who gave her the best year of her life and her beautiful daughter. After leaving him, she had met Madame Oh, who took her in and loved her and Seol as if they were her own.

For the past five years, Soo's life had been good—happy, even. She had her daughter, a job she enjoyed and that challenged her as Madame Oh's personal assistant; and a wonderful mother figure in Oh Soo Yeon.

That was why, when Madame Oh was offered a position as Director of the National Dance Company, of course Soo agreed to move back to Seoul with her. That wasn't even a question; they were family.

But Soo should have known… when she found a small, reasonably priced apartment for her and Seol, when the move went off without a hitch, when she found herself liking her new neighbors… her life was due for an implosion.

It always started the same way. She grew comfortable, let her guard down and then… **BOOM**.

* * *

 **Chapter ONE**

Present day.

Hae Soo looked around her new apartment's sparse décor. After five years of living at Oh Soo Yeon's house, she was finally in a place of her own. It was her first time ever living on her own, actually. Myung Hee had helped her find this place and helped her shop for the basics, but she had a long way to go before it was all settled.

Myung Hee had been so happy when Soo told her she was moving back to Seoul. In the past five years, they had seen each only a handful of times whenever Myung Hee could make her way to Gyeongju to see Soo and Seol.

Life had been good there, but Soo knew it was time for both her and Oh Soo Yeon to stop hiding.

The two of them had come a long way since they first met. When she had begun working for her, Soo had been very intimidated. Oh Soo Yeon had been nearly a recluse back then; bitter over a career-ending injury years before and … other personal tragedies Soo found out about later on. The first month of her employment, Soo had been sure that Madame Oh hated her.

But when Madame Oh had found Soo throwing up one morning and seen the look of sheer terror in Soo's eyes when she asked if Soo was pregnant… something changed then. Madame Oh had hugged her, asked—just once—if the father was in the picture. When Soo answered, "Not really..." Madame Oh had patted her back and said: "Just as well, we'll be fine."

And they had been. But now it was time for bigger and better things.

"Umma!" Seol's small voice interrupted her train of thought as the little girl ran into the kitchen at full speed. "Can I wear the pretty hairpin today?"

"The pretty hairpin?" Soo asked and Seol nodded, doing her best impression of a puppy as she pleaded with her eyes. "Sure, why not?"

Soo went back to her room and found the hairpin her daughter liked. It had white flowers, a small blue butterfly and a sprig of red berries. So had given it to her on their first month anniversary. Soo had been growing out her bangs at the time and she had to push them back constantly. When he had given it to her, So had said it was because this way he was able to see her eyes all the time.

He was a sap that way. And they had been so happy.

Going back to her daughter, Soo braided Seol's hair a top of her head, and put the pin to one side.

"Now let's go! You know how your Halmeoni feels about tardiness."

Seol nodded and ran off to get her backpack where she kept important things like her stuffed wolf, coloring pencils and some other random objects she deemed essential.

Seol chattered the whole way to work. Asking questions that were soon forgotten (often before Soo could think of a proper answer), pointing at things and just babbling away while Soo nodded and patted Seol's back or rubbed her arm.

The chattiness definitely came from her. So was the quiet, brooding type; maybe it was because of his loaded family background, but he was always mindful of the things he said and…and she really needed to stop thinking about him.

Wang So had been in her mind a lot lately. Soo assumed it was because Seoul reminded her of him: the places where they used to eat at or go to the movies, their favorite walks around the parks in the city, rowing in the river. It made Soo feel nostalgic, even though they hadn't ended on the best of terms. They just had ended, to be honest.

Thankfully, the chances of running into each other were quite slim. This was a big city, after all, and they didn't move in the same social circles. Currently, Soo had no social circle to speak off but she hoped to get along with the fellow staff at the National Dance Company.

Reassured by this idea, Soo walked into the National Theater, home to the Company. Soo flashed her badge to the security guard to be allowed inside and smiled as Seol did the same. Madame Oh had asked the security staff to make a badge for her, since she would be spending a lot of time at the theater until Soo found her a spot a good nursery school. (Seol was waitlisted in three, and Soo hoped for a spot to open up soon).

"Halmeoni!" Seol cried happily when they walked into Madame Oh's office.

Oh Soo Yeon was in her fifties, but still one of the most gorgeous women Soo had even seen up close. It wasn't something as easy as prettiness, but something that shined from within. Oh Soo Yeon had commanded the stage of every major theater in the world as a prima ballerina, and she knew what was her due.

"You're here!" Madame Oh said happily, gathering Seol close to her.

Soo smiled at the two of them, feeling perfectly happy… which was why she should have known her day, and possibly her life, was about to go to hell.

…00…

Baek Ah did not have time for this, but he figured it was best not to alienate his new boss. Oh Soo Yeon had been in charge for just twenty-four hours, but she was already making waves. Starting with the fact that he now had to accommodate twenty-four additional dancers to the photoshoot he was supposed to be styling.

Intellectually, he knew it was a good idea. The traditional and folk dance branch of the company was sorely underdeveloped, but he would have appreciated a heads up. He was responsible for the entire publicity photoshoot and had been planning it for weeks. He was the goddamn Artistic Director of this company, and one of the lead choreographers to boot. He deserved a little more consideration if he said so himself.

But when Oh Soo Yeon had looked at him over the brim of the report she was holding and told him to get on with it... a chill went up and down his spine. Yes, it was better to stay on this woman's good side.

"I'll send my assistant with the rest of the dancers shortly. You head over to the location and get started, Mr. Wang."

Baek Ah nodded. This woman was not to be meddled with. She kind of reminded him of his favorite cousin, whom he loved but would really, really rather not run into when he was in a temper.

—..—

The first project Soo was assigned was to supervise a photoshoot for the publicity of the upcoming season. The company's Artistic Director Baek Ah was in charge, but Madame Oh wanted Soo to make sure everything was done to her own standards.

Seol insisted on coming with her, of course, and they both caught a ride to the location with one of the dancers.

"I'm Kim Woo Hee," A young woman introduced herself as she unlocked her car, which had definitely seen better days but was scrupulously clean. Kim Woo Hee was about Soo's age, with beautiful dark brown hair and perfect make-up.

"Hae Soo and Hae Seol," Soo answered, setting Seol into the back seat and putting on her seatbelt before climbing into the car herself. "Thank you for letting us ride along, Ms. Kim."

"Unless you want me to call you Miss Hae, just call me Woo Hee. It's ok if I call you Soo?"

"I would like that."

Woo Hee grinned then. "And it's nothing, I was heading there anyway, and I like the company."

Hae Soo smiled, "So, what drew you to ballet?"

Woo Hee laughed. She had a wonderful, slightly husky laugh. "Nothing at all. I'm not a ballerina. I specialize in Korean Traditional dances: the sword dance, the fan dance, all of those."

"I didn't know the National Dance Company did that as well."

"We are the smaller, lesser known branch of the company. Most of the dancers come from folk troupes from the provinces since we don't have a proper school set for it within the company like the classical ballet and modern dance companies have. I learned from my grandmother."

"I don't know much about the traditional dances, to be honest."

"You should come to one of our rehearsals." Woo Hee invited.

They made small talk as they made their way to the location, which turned out to be the Taejo Group's Headquarters.

Just. Her. Luck.

 **-00-**

Six years before

Hae Soo knew she had a job millions of people would kill for. She was only twenty-one but had managed to snag a well-paid internship at the Taejo Group, one of Korea's largest conglomerates. Soo didn't know what kind of strings her cousin's husband had pulled to get this for her. She just hoped it had cost him dearly since he was the reason why she had to drop out of college and move out of Myung Hee's house.

Hae Myung Hee was eight years older than Soo. When Soo's parents died, she had taken a surly, grief-stricken teenager into her home. Myung Hee was at times Soo's mother, her cool older sister, and the best friend a girl could ask for. Soo adored her. Sure, it had been rough at first, but they had figured it out eventually. Their plan had been for Soo to live at home with her and attend the National University – which was a short commute from Myung Hee's place.

But then…Myung Hee had met and married Hwangbo Wook. Wook moved them clear across the city, and with the wedding, the move and her always fragile health, Myung Hee's finances became a little precarious (the money was still there but tied up in Wook's company). Soo didn't think it was okay to let Myung Hee pay for her college fees and living expenses as well.

At first, Soo had liked Wook. He was handsome and charming, and Myung Hee thought the world of him. As such, Soo had been more than willing to like him. But soon enough, Wook began to show his true colors: sitting too close to her, cornering her when Myung Hee wasn't around, staring at her too long... in the end Soo had thought it best to just move out before something happened. She couldn't deny that his attention was flattering and made her waver… until she remembered he was a married man.

Her high school best friend offered to share her apartment; and lovely, sweet Myung Hee had gotten Wook to use his business contacts to get her this job. Privately, Wook had promised to leave her alone "unless you don't want me to" he had added, making her skin crawl.

Wook was, in short, the worst. But handy sometimes.

Hence the job a million people would kill for (what with Korea's difficult economy and all). Soo knew she should be more appreciative of it, but she couldn't really. Ever since she had discovered her love for makeup, Soo had worked very hard to get into a good University to study chemistry (though it was not a subject that came naturally to her) so she could one day create her own line of cosmetics and skin care products. She was going to be Korea's Estee Lauder or Helena Rubinstein. Or someone like that.

Instead, she was working at an office and wasn't even sure what this company actually did and working weekends at a cosmetics shop doing makeovers to save up to return to school the following year.

"Snap out of it, Hae Soo!" Soo told herself before going into the HR office to start her orientation and get her ID badge. She was quickly put to work in the copy room.

Soon enough, the days and weeks began to drag on. At first people had been friendly until they somehow found out she had been "recommended" for this job. That's when the bullying started: her things often went missing, her lunch had been tampered with twice until she decided to stop bringing one. She was always assigned the most mind-numbing tasks, and she always had to wait for deliveries (which either were always late or her co-workers enjoyed giving her the wrong time so she had to stand for hours in the parking lot waiting for the delivery to arrive); and so on.

One day, three weeks into her job, she had already been to three different storage rooms across two different floors trying to find some fancy ass A4 paper they needed to print the dossiers for a big presentation that was going to happen later that day. And now she had the lovely task of taking the print mockups to the Director of Operations (whatever that meant) for final approval before they printed the rest of the stuff.

Soo was leafing through the pages—muttering to herself about how boring it all sounded—when she collided with a rather solid form. Soo looked up to see what she had bumped into and found herself staring into the frowny face of a well-dressed young man. His own ID badge identified him as W. So from Daily Operations.

W. So had one mighty scowl so, in a flash, Soo did the only thing she could think of: She dropped the papers she carried, brought her hands up to her forehead, and began to make dramatic noises. She bent over, pretending to be in great pain.

"You bumped into me," W. So said in what turned out to be a fantastic voice, even if it was laden with frost.

Soo sighed and straightened. "It was worth a shot," she said before crouching down to pick up the papers she had dropped.

"That's it?" He asked, slightly incredulous.

"You could help me, you know?"

He snorted – actually snorted! – and walked away.

"What a gentleman!" Soo said, just loudly enough to be sure that he heard her as he turned the corner.

W. So paused for a second, annoyed and amused at the same time.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thanks so much for making it this far!**

 **Please drop a comment if you can ;)**


	2. Two: Chance Encounters

**Hello guys! thanks for taking the time to comment! I really hope you enjoy the story!**

 **Thanks to Sandy as well, for being super awesome and helping me with the edits!**

 **And, just to avoid confusion with the guys' job titles: Mu is CEO (chief executive officer) a.k.a in charge of the company, Yo is CFO (Chief Financial Officer) a.k.a. in charge of the money and So is COO (Chief Operating Officer) a.k.a. in charge of the daily running of the company.**

 _To Melimelo:_ _Hello! Glad to hear from you! Well... you'll get too see how they got together and how they broke up little by little! :) And there will be lots of Seol! :D thanks._

 **Anyway, on to the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter TWO**

 ** _Present day_**

Soo was nervous and kept looking around. She kept telling herself she wasn't even sure he still worked here...but even if he did, he was likely holed up in his office, ever the workaholic. She set out to speed things along by helping the lone makeup artist get the dancers ready, which also allowed her to plop Seol down in one of the chairs and keep an eye on her while the little girl colored.

So far so good. Woo Hee introduced her to some of the dancers, and they had a nice chat going. Soo got distracted for half a second when the makeup artist asked her if she knew how to make a wing-tip. Soo demonstrated on the girl sitting at her makeshift station.

One second Seol was there, meticulously coloring a pony Soo had drawn for her and the next she was gone...

…

Wang So was not in a good mood. He had been in a pointless meeting all day, watching as his two eldest brothers undermined each other in front of their father to the point that, just to end the fucking meeting, he had stepped in and wound up in charge of a project he had no interest in.

He had hoped to go out for a quick lunch to clear his head. Instead, he found the atrium of the Taejo Group's headquarters invaded by a posse of ballerinas.

"Baek Ah!" He yelled when he saw his favorite cousin and best friend.

"Hyung!" Baek Ah said with a genial smile. "Came to see me work?"

"Came to see why you aren't gone already."

"Hyung, that hurts my feelings."

"You know what I mean," So said, trying to calm himself down.

Baek Ah had the grace to look sheepish. "I'm sorry, I know we were supposed to be done an hour ago; but we had some troubles setting up. We'll be done soon, though, I promise!"

"I still can't believe Father allowed this."

"He's a secret patron of the arts?"

"He's a not-so-secret patron of ballerinas, apparently," So said humorlessly, knowing his father still liked to surround himself with beautiful young women, even though it annoyed his wife.

Baek Ah laughed. "We're just finishing with the Traditional Korean Dance Company and then we are done. It would have taken longer but our Director's P.A. happens to have a good hand at makeup and helped us get the girls ready faster."

So nodded, looking over the controlled chaos Baek Ah was sheepherding: the dozen or so dancers in traditional garb, the odd ballerina still standing around, and a photographer barking orders and positioning the girls in various compositions around the fountains and garden that took up almost half the atrium of the company's building.

"We have a group of Chinese investors coming in at three. I want this place impeccable by then," So said. As Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company, this whole building was his responsibility.

"We'll be gone long before that."

They weren't, but that didn't matter. Before So could take his leave, his phone vibrated, and he took the call. To the untrained eye it might seem like So was impassive as ever but Baek Ah knew better: an explosion of So's legendary temper was about to happen.

"We agreed on a date," So said icily into the phone. "Tell Mr. Hwang Bo that unless he delivers by end of business hours today, I will sue him for breach of contract and bury him in so many legal documents that his grandchildren will need a lawyer." So was quiet for a moment, listening. "Yeah, I don't care who said it was okay. I'm the one you're dealing with now," So snapped and then hung up.

"Hyung?" Baek Ah asked carefully.

"I'm going to murder Won," So said, turning on his heel and stalking toward the elevators.

Baek Ah looked at the shoot he was supposed to supervise and then at his cousin who was about to murder their other cousin. Whatever Won had done this time, So would have his head if he wasn't stopped.

Making a choice, Baek Ah began to follow So. "Hyung, wait up!"

It fell on deaf ears as So continued his deadly march towards the elevator bank. Though it was rather impressive, Baek Ah had to admit, how everyone quickly got out of his way. As COO, So held these people's livelihoods in a far firmer grip than Yo as CFO or Mu as CEO; and they knew it. Though Yo was generally regarded as a bastard, it was So's temper everyone feared.

Baek Ah caught up with So as he waited for the elevator to arrive, which, of course, only irritated his cousin more.

"Fuck it, I'm taking the stairs," So declared, remembering Won's office was only on the fourth floor.

So took a step in the direction of the stairs, but that was as far as he got before something hit him in the stomach.

The whole atrium froze as So looked down. Way down.

In front of him was a small girl, staring at him with wide eyes. Noticing his frown, the girl quickly put both hands to her forehead and began to make dramatic noises. "Aww, aw, ouch."

The image of Hae Soo doing the same thing the day they had met flashed through his mind. "You bumped into me," He said automatically.

The little girl stopped and just stared up to him. Surprising everyone, most of all himself, So crouched down to the girl's level. "Who are you?"

"Seol, but I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. My Umma says so."

"Your Umma is right." So said with a nod, which seemed to please the little girl.

Seol reached out with a tiny finger and poked him right between his brows. "You'll get wrinkles if you frown."

So laughed. "So I've been told." There was just something so familiar about this girl, and he couldn't quite place what.

Before he could figure it out, there was a bit of a commotion behind them, and Seol turned her head to see what happened. That's when he saw it: the hairpin on the girl's head. He knew that hairpin. It was one of a kind.

"Hae Seol!" an achingly familiar voice called out. "There you are! We've talked about you wandering off!"

"Umma!" Seol said happily, running toward the woman who had called her name.

"Wait!" So said but Seol was already gone.

The woman had brown hair, dewy looking skin, and the same brown eyes as her daughter. "Don't scare me like that again," She was saying as she wrapped Seol in her arms and lifted her against her chest.

"Hae Soo." The name left his lips for the first time in years. There she was, in front of him as if she had never left, stealing his heart and shattering his life.

Soo turned at the sound of her name. Her eyes widened and he could hear her gasp.

Then someone screamed and there was a loud splash as someone fell into one of the fountains. So looked away for a split second, and when he looked back to where Hae Soo had stood, he only caught a glimpse of that hairpin as Soo practically ran out of the building with her daughter in her arms.

Without thinking So ran after her, but this time it seemed everyone was determined to get in his way as a bunch of people rushed toward the fountains to help whomever had fallen there.

By the time he got to the street it was only to see them get in a cab and speed away.

"Hyung!" Baek Ah panted as he caught up with him. "What is going on?"

"That woman-"

"Director Oh's P.A.?" Baek Ah asked, confused.

"You know her?"

-00-

 ** _6 years ago._**

It took a couple of days before Soo saw W. So again. She was once again tasked with waiting for a delivery in the parking lot and bored out of her mind. By the time the delivery finally arrived, she was annoyed, tired and hungry.

The box was heavy, and the delivery person refused to help her take it inside. Muttering, she began to drag it toward the elevator.

"Oh, come on!" Soo muttered, pulling at the box, which was stuck for some reason. "Come on!" She said again, pulling harder until the box gave and lurched forward, sending her toppling backward in her heels.

She braced herself to fall on her ass, but before that could happen an arm wrapped around her middle and she was pulled back as the box fell on its side and spilled its contents.

"Are you all right?" A suspiciously familiar voice asked, and Soo turned to face the man who had saved her from a bad fall. She found herself face to face with W. So.

The first thing she noticed was that his hair was rather long in the front. In fact, it covered most of the left side of his face; she hadn't noticed the first time she had bumped into him, but it covered from his forehead to his cheekbone. And the makeup artist inside of her noticed that he had really nice cheekbones.

"Hey! Are you all right?" He asked again, shaking her a little.

"Yeah. Sorry." She mumbled. W. So let go of her quite abruptly and she almost fell again.

"You should be more careful."

"I usually am; I'm just having one of those days." Soo said, looking around for the envelopes and packages that had spilled all over the floor. "And now I'm going to get in trouble," She added, throwing the stuff back into the box he had righted.

"Probably," He agreed, earning a glare from Hae Soo. But then he picked up the box and began to carry it toward the elevator which had just opened. "And I'm not going to miss it."

Still glaring, Soo followed after him. She grew sulky as he refused to hand over the box which he carried as if it weighed nothing. Bastard.

"There you are!" Her supervisor said crossly as soon as Soo entered the copy room again. So was at her heels, placing the box on a nearby table. "I've been waiting for hours!"

"There was a bit of an incident," Soo began to explain, knowing she wouldn't get very far.

"Always with your excuses! I will report you to HR if you are this late again!"

"It's not my fault the delivery guy was late! You told me to not come back until he arrived!"

"The tales of your incompetence do not interest me."

"I, for one, find them fascinating." Wang So said, his voice glacier and almost robotic.

Soo's supervisor paled and turned to him, bowing deeply. "Director Wang, I didn't see you. I apologize if Hae Soo caused you any trouble. She is new, but we'll see that she is disciplined."

"Director Wang?" Soo asked in confused whisper. She looked at So up and down critically. He didn't notice.

"I'm sure she always causes trouble, but that's not the issue," W. So went on. He seemed like a completely different person. "Why are you sending personnel down to pick up a delivery that the messengers know they are supposed to bring up here directly? Does that seem like good management to you?"

"No, of course not," The manager said, her gaze never lifting from the ground.

"If she's so incompetent, then fire her," So said.

"Hey!" Soo cried out.

So went on as if she hadn't spoken. "Otherwise, have her do something actually worthwhile. We are not paying her so you can have someone to bully."

"I apologize, Sir."

So let the supervisor squirm for a few moments—which the small, petty side of Soo enjoyed—before asking for some documents and finally taking his leave.

Of course, that whole scene would end up costing Soo. She knew this, but she had to admit it had been kind of great.

-00-

 ** _Present Day._**

Wang Yo did not need this. "What do you mean he's gone? We have a meeting in twenty minutes."

"I'm sorry, Sir," So's secretary Han Jae Min said in a quavering voice. How So put up with the man, Yo would never know. "He stepped out to eat, but when I went down to see if he had returned, your cousin said he was gone."

"Which cousin?"

"Um. Uh. Mr. Baek Ah."

"Is he still downstairs?"

"I think so, Sir."

Yo made his way to the ground floor of the building and sure enough, there was Baek Ah, standing next to a monitor and pointing stuff out to some other man holding a camera. They had never been particularly close. Yo was six years older than his cousin, and Baek Ah had always been a bit too artsy for them to ever form a close bond. And then there was the "So" of it all.

"You!" Yo said, pulling Baek Ah aside. "Where the fuck is So?"

"He said he had some important business to take care of and left," Baek Ah answered, not quite meeting his eyes.

"What is it? Speak up."

"It's his personal affair, okay, Yo-hyung? He just ran into someone from the past, and he had a rather strong reaction to her—"

"Her?" Yo jumped at the word.

"I know nothing more. And I'm very busy," Baek Ah hastily added.

Yo sighed. He wouldn't get very far with Baek Ah; he and So were ridiculously loyal to each other. But as far as he knew, there had only ever been one "her" in So's life. Yo reached for his phone as Baek Ah walked away. "Won," Yo said curtly, "I need you to look into something."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thanks again! and From the next chapter:**

 ** _They both froze for a moment before he pulled back. "I don't like being stared at."_**

 ** _"Because of the scar?" Soo asked. She had noticed the thin, discolored line crossing the bridge of his nose, under his eye and going into his cheekbone before, and figured that was why he kept his hair long in the front – he had spectacular bangs, to be honest, which were quite at odds with the rest of his rather sober style._**

 ** _Slowly, he nodded. "And don't tell me it's not that bad, I know how it looks like."_**

 ** _"I won't say it then." And she hadn't asked how he had gotten it either. "It's a shame you cover your face so much, though, you have really good bone structure."_**


	3. Three: Scars, Scares and Makeup

**Hello everyone!**  
 **Thanks for all the kind comments!**

 **I'm kinda moving the updates to Sunday afternoon/night because I usually stayed up until midnight to upload the chapter buuuut the meds I take and the fact that I have to get up at 5 the next morning kinda made it a little complicated, so I'm moving it. I hope it's okay with y'all.**

 **Thanks to Sandy for all her help, and thank you for dropping by again.**

 **to Melimelo: Hello again! I'm glad you enjoy the little situations from the drama! I'm trying to add as many as I can but that it still feels natural and like it's own story. LOL. As for what happens next... well, just remember that they ultimately will want what's best for Seol :)**

* * *

 **Chapter THREE**

 **Six years ago**

At least they had stopped bullying her. Sure, now she was the one and only person who had to go deal with "Director Wang" each time he requested stuff from the Copy Room. Other than the fact that he often took forever to see her and had her running back and forth 3 or 4 times before he was satisfied with most projects, Soo didn't mind.

He was curt and borderline rude at times, but she had seen WAY worse at the makeup shop. So she just dealt with it.

Over the next few weeks, Soo got to observe him quite a bit. His eating habits were atrocious, and he often stayed really late in his office. Once or twice she had seen him with one of his brothers—the COO, who was his direct boss—and they seemed to get along but weren't particularly close as far as she could see.

Soo didn't know what made her do it. No one asked her, but often times, when she saw he was alone in his office – which she had to pass by on her way out – she would make a fresh pot of coffee when she noticed it had run out. She didn't know why but it made her feel sad seeing him alone in his office all the time; he didn't seem to have friends and she had integrated enough into the office's grapevine to know that the relationships between the three Wang brothers currently working at the Taejo Group were quite tense.

So, making coffee seemed like a small enough gesture.

"Ah, the coffee elves attack again." He said one night in early November, making Hae Soo jump and nearly drop the package of coffee in her hands.

"You scared me," Soo answered, giving her chest a few thumps to calm her racing heart.

"I'm sorry." Wang So said. He actually meant it. "I just wondered who did that," He pointed toward the coffee maker. "I knew it wasn't my secretary, because he doesn't like me and his coffee sucks."

"Who says I like you?" Soo said haughtily, then broke into a smile.

After that, they started to run into each other seemingly all the time. Months later So would admit that it hadn't been entirely accidental. "I was just aware of you, and sometimes I couldn't help myself." He had said with a smile while they had a lazy Saturday morning in his apartment, three months into their relationship.

That was one of the things Soo had loved most about So: he never played around or tried to pretend he wasn't interested. Once they were in a relationship, he was all in.

But in those early days, their random meetings all over the building began to get longer, and sometimes, when she stopped to make a pot of coffee before leaving, they would talk for a while.

In one such meeting, So had been distracted and tired. He kept pushing his hair off his face before quickly pulling it down over his eye.

"You're going to tear your hair out," Soo had said, impulsively reaching out to stop his hands… which put her in his personal space in a way she had never been before.

They both froze for a moment before he pulled back. "I don't like being stared at."

"Because of the scar?" Soo asked. She had noticed the thin, discolored line crossing the bridge of his nose under his eye and going into his cheekbone. She figured that was why he kept his hair long in the front—he had spectacular bangs, to be honest, which were quite at odds with the rest of his rather sober style.

Slowly, he nodded. "And don't tell me it's not that bad; I know how it looks like."

"I won't say it then." And she hadn't asked how he had gotten it either. "It's a shame you cover your face so much though; you have really good bone structure."

Since that was the last thing he expected her to say, So burst into a surprised laugh. "I do?"

Soo nodded, reaching for the last cookie in the package they had been sharing. "It's all in the cheekbones."

"Thanks for that," So said with a lingering smile and a bit of a sigh as they lapsed into silence.

"If it really bothers you that much… I can make it go away."

"I've tried pretty much everything, believe me." Two surgeries and a lifetime of the best skin care money could buy. Objectively he knew the scar was much better now than when he had been a kid, but that didn't stop him from feeling self-conscious each time he looked at himself in the mirror, or when someone stared at his face too long.

"Challenge accepted!" Soo had said, beginning to dig through her purse, coming up with a slightly crumpled flyer. "Meet me here, tomorrow at three."

"Makeup?" So asked, looking down at the flier for a cosmetics shop. "I've tried makeup before." His cousin Baek Ah had convinced him to try in middle school. it hadn't ended well, and his aunt hadn't been happy with the mess the two boys had made.

"Just trust me."

So had shaken his head but the next day he was outside the store, almost twenty minutes early. He walked in front of the store at least ten times before deciding he had already come this far so he might as well see her, if only not to be rude. (Since when did he care about rudeness? He didn't know.)

He was looking down the street to see if she arrived when the door of the store opened. "You're early." Soo said, beckoning him inside and stopping to close the door, lock it and flip the OPEN sign to CLOSED. "You're lucky it was slow today."

"You work here?" So noticed the pink-uniform dress she wore and the name tag pinned to it.

"Just on weekends and whenever they need extra help. Come on back." In the far end of the store there were two mirrors and two high chairs. Soo had an array of brushes, sponges and containers out.

Before So could think of protesting, Soo had him in one of the chairs, pinned his hair to the side and was studying his face critically; she pressed her fingers against the scar, feeling its texture. So held still and almost forgot to breathe. No one but the doctors and himself had touched his face in twenty years.

-00-

 **Present Day**

"What you mean is that you panicked," Madame Oh voice was flat and unimpressed after Soo told her how she had run off with Seol after seeing So.

"Just a bit," Soo agreed, pacing her kitchen back and forth while Seol watched cartoons in the living room. "What am I going to do now?"

"Calm down, to start." Madame Oh said like it was the most obvious thing. "Soo-yah," She went on a little more gently. "Maybe he was just surprised to see you."

"He was talking to Seol."

"So what? You said he wasn't interested in her before. No reason to think that changed."

"Yes, you're right." Soo said, trying to calm down.

"Now, tell me how the shoot went otherwise."

Soo knew Madame Oh was just trying to distract her, but she gladly took the bait. "It went well. The Artistic Director had things well in hand; I just helped with some details and some of the dancers' makeup to speed things up."

They talked about work for a few more minutes until the doorbell rang. "Umma! Door!" Seol said helpfully from her spot in their lone couch.

"Thank you, baby." Soo said, "I have to go since the pizza guy is here. Don't judge me, Seol likes it and I didn't have time to stop buy groceries."

"Don't blame it on Seol."

"Fine. I need the emotional support, okay?"

Madame Oh laughed. "Fine. Have it your way. And it's fine if you take the rest of the day off, but I want you here first thing in the morning, I have plenty of things for you to do."

"Send me whatever you have, and I'll get started on what I can do from here. I could use the distraction." The doorbell rang again, more insistent and there were even a few bangs on the door. "I have to go."

"Okay, call me later if you want."

"Thanks." Soo picked up her purse as she walked toward the door, beginning to dig for her wallet while also keeping her phone pressed between her ear and shoulder and attempting to open the door at the same time. "Sorry, just give me a minute." When there was no answer, she looked up...and her purse and phone fell to the floor.

"Surprised to see me?" Wang So said, his suit a little rumpled and his tie loosened.

Soo nodded numbly. "What-what are you doing here?"

"We haven't seen each other in almost six years and that's all you have to say, sweetheart?"

"Don't. Don't call me that," Soo snapped. "What do you want?"

So looked over Soo's shoulder to the little girl who was staring at the two of them like they were far more interesting than the cartoons blaring on the TV. "That's your daughter?" Soo nodded. "How old is she? When was she born?" He kept his voice low.

Soo frowned at him. "She's almost five. She was born on October 15 th . You should know that."

"How the fuck am I supposed to know that? You disappeared on me five years ago while I was dealing with a crisis, and I never heard from you again."

"Don't curse at me, Wang So." Soo snapped. "I'm the one who never heard from you again. I sent you I don't know how many letters and you never even answered one. Not even to say, stop writing these goddamn letters."

"I spent six months and a small fortune looking for you but got nowhere. I never got any 'goddamn letters'. I was going crazy when you disappeared. On top of everything else going to hell in my life, you were gone, and now I find out you took my daughter from me?"

"I didn't take her from you!" Soo hissed. "You didn't want us. Your silence made that plenty clear."

"I didn't know where you were," He hissed right back. "I didn't know how to contact you! I sent you, like, a hundred text messages! I called you I don't know how many times until it said that the number had been disconnected."

"If you really spent six months and a fortune looking for me, you should know why that was." Soo narrowed her eyes. "You probably thought it was true and thought good riddance."

"That you swindled a lot of people for a lot of money? That you were a gold digger?" Soo flinched at his words: those were exactly the things Taejo Group's General Secretary had used when he had fired her. "No, I didn't actually think that."

"I didn't, just so we are clear."

Before he could answer, the actual pizza delivery guy arrived. He looked from one to the other like he felt a bomb was about to go off. Soo smiled at the guy and retrieved her purse, tipping him more than she usually would just to get him to leave quickly.

"Baby, wash up and sit at the table," Soo called over her shoulder before turning to So. "If you excuse us, we're about to eat."

"We're not done here."

"We are."

"Let me be clear, Soo-yah. I didn't know about Seol, but now I do, and you can expect to hear from my lawyer sooner rather than later."

"Yippie! I'm so thrilled," Soo said sarcastically.

So almost smiled, but instead he just left as quickly as he had come

It wasn't until she was trying to choke down a slice of pizza that she began to wonder how the hell had he found her.

* * *

 **From next chapter:**

"Letters." So scoffed. "Like I would have really let my daughter go if I had known." Or the only woman he had ever loved, for that matter.


	4. Four: First Snow

H **ello everyone! I hope you guys had a great week and that you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Thanks so much to Sandy for being awesome and helping me.**

 _ **To Melimelo: you'll find out a lot more about them as a couple! So's family is more of a mixed bag this time around! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

 **Chapter FOUR**

 ** _Present Day_**

So's first instinct was to call Park Soo Kyung, the head of the legal department at the Taejo Group, and ask him to recommend him the best, shark-iest custody lawyer money could buy. But too many things weren't adding up yet. And he needed to have all the facts before he did anything. His daughter was at stake.

Thinking of the little girl he had met that morning calmed him down a little. Seol seemed to be a happy child, happier than he had ever been as a kid; he had always thought Soo would make a wonderful mother, and Seol's confident behavior seemed to confirm that.

"Letters." So scoffed. "Like I would've really let my daughter go if I had known." Or the only woman he had ever loved, for that matter.

On the other hand, Soo wasn't really one to lie, even to spare his feelings. She had always been ruthlessly honest with him; it was one of the things he had loved best about her. And she hadn't even attempted to deny that Seol was his; she had acted like he already knew that.

With a sigh, So decided to wait a little before contacting a lawyer. He knew where Soo lived and worked, and he would make sure to keep tabs on her. She wouldn't disappear on him like she had before. There was still plenty he had to get done.

Picking a place to start, he began making calls.

"Yeah?" His cousin answered distractedly.

"Eun, I need the name of the realtor you used to find your office space."

"So-hyung?" His cousin asked, confused.

"Yes." So answered shortly. "Just call her and tell her to call me immediately. I need to buy a house. Today."

"What?"

"Just do it." So hung up, and moved to the next call on his mental list.

-000-

 ** _Six years ago_**

"So, what were you studying?"

Hae Soo looked up from the menu she was perusing. After Soo had finished applying the makeup she had personalized for So, she had made him wash his face again and then explained step-by-step how he could do it himself. It took him almost three times as long as it had taken Hae Soo the first time, but Soo was a good teacher: she was patient and taught him how to correct the mistakes he made.

Then she had even trimmed his bangs. "Trust me, my friend and I do this all the time." She had grinned, holding up a large pair of scissors they used at the store to cut up packages and prevent counterfeit.

She admonished him on always taking the makeup off (" _Or it will ruin your skin!_ "), recommended a few removers, wrote down the formulae for the makeup she had made and told him which stores could make it for him once he ran out. Then she packed everything in a paper bag and wouldn't take his money when he asked how much he owed her.

"I made it with stuff I had in my house, don't worry. And the store lets us take the brushes and stuff that are faulty—which mostly means they got scratched during transportation—so we can't sell them. And the manufacturer won't take the products back because they don't want to pay for transport and destruction...so they just send more."

"Well, at least let me buy you dinner, since you wasted your afternoon on me."

So half expected her to say no, but Soo just shrugged and said, "That's fair, but I pick the place."

"Okay?"

"Good, just let me change and we'll be off."

So waited while Soo changed and then locked the store. She stopped at a nail salon still open a few doors down, and left the store's keys there with the woman who managed both places.

"Do you like noodles?" Soo asked afterward, as they walked down the street, Although it wasn't that late, the daylight was already fading and it was turning cold.

"Sure. I'll eat anything."

Soo smiled and began chattering. As he had learned during their conversations at the office, she didn't need much incentive to do so. Only that now she wasn't talking about whatever gossip and little scandals that were cropping up at the office.

Soo started telling him about the street and the people she worked for. And then somehow, she had told him she was planning on going back to school next year. Which brought them to his question of what was her major.

"Um. Chemistry."

So let out a low whistle. "Never would have guessed."

"It's not my natural inclination, believe me. Just what I thought would be the most helpful for what I want to do."

"And what is that?"

"I want to start my own line of cosmetics and skin care products."

"But you already know how to make makeup," So said.

"I know," Soo went back to her menu. "But I figured that if I wanted to get an internship at a reputable company and learn the ropes, chemistry would give me an in and some hands-on experience. It's one thing is to do it for myself or friends, but standardized techniques, quality control, lines of production and channels of distribution? That's not easy. Not to mention contacts!"

"You really thought this through, uh?"

Soo smiled, and paused to place her order when their server came. "I blame my cousin Myung Hee. I wanted to be a makeup artist first but she began giving me all these books about women who had changed the cosmetics industry over the years—Helena Rubinstein, Estée Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, they aren't just brands but real people who had a vision—and I don't know; It made me want to build something."

So smiled at her, amused by her animation and charmed by her conviction; and Soo found herself blushing. Wang So—on top of money, status and a fairly good brain—had a killer smile. It wasn't fair, really.

They kept talking. Soo told him about her cousin Myung Hee and moving from Busan to Seoul when she was sixteen. So didn't talk about his family, but he did mention his best friend and cousin, who was completing an arts and musicology degree at the Sorbone; how he had been famous in his unit during conscription because he was a neat freak and his commanding officer always put him in charge of supplies. So had graduated from Seoul University and had also gone to graduate school in London until recently.

They drank a couple of beers each, ate their noodles and split the last piece of chocolate cake the restaurant had. By the third time their server had asked if they wanted something else, Soo realized it was time to call it a night.

Stepping outside while So paid, Soo shivered in her jacket. She hadn't planned on staying out this late and the temperature had dropped quite a bit.

Suddenly, something cold landed on her cheek. _It couldn't be_ , she thought. It was still early in the season. But she held out her hand and sure enough a snowflake landed in her open palm.

"The first snow of the season." So said at her back, holding out his hand as well. "Isn't it early?"

"Who cares? It's beautiful!" Soo answered, grinning as the snow began to fall a little faster.

So looked down at her: some flakes had started to catch in her dark hair, her cheeks were turning rosy with the cold, and her eyes were shining with delight. "Yes. Beautiful."

 _She was._

-000-

 ** _Present Day_**

By midnight, Wang So was exhausted. He hadn't stopped all day. Eun's realtor had shown him three houses and one apartment before So found something suitable. He had his secretary make arrangements for cleaning and furnishing the place. He asked for the essentials. _Decorations could come later_ , he thought.

There were two very angry messages from Yo in his voice mail and a concerned one from Mu. Belatedly, he remembered the Chinese investors and the myriad of things he had pending in the office, but he found that he couldn't give a fuck.

Exhaustion won over and he fell asleep, still dressed, on top of his covers. Next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake. "Wang So?" His older brother Yo kept asking, shaking him none too gently.

"What?" So asked, coming awake all at once.

"What? You have a meeting in thirty minutes, and you haven't even showered!" Yo fairly roared. He was already dressed and with his trusty old briefcase in hand, ready to head out to the office. That meant it was 8:00 sharp; that was the hour Yo always left for work.

"I'm not going to work today. I'm busy." So rolled away, deciding that he could use a shower before he started to pack his things.

"After the stunt you pulled yesterday, you're ditching work today?"

"I'm busy," So said again, beginning to strip. If it bothered Yo—who could be quite prudish all things considered—so be it.

"Yes! You are busy! Busy with all the fucking meetings you blew yesterday. Do you know how much extra work you caused?"

So shrugged, infuriating Yo. "Wang So, what the fuck is going on?"

There it was, the big brother voice. So hadn't heard it in a while, and told him so.

"Never mind that. I repeat myself; what is going on? Does this have anything to do with that woman you were chasing yesterday?"

So frowned for a moment. "You've got eyes all over the company, don't you hyung?"

Yo refused to answer. Instead, he threw his arms up and left, slamming the door in his wake.

So shrugged. He had put out plenty of fires caused by both his older brothers and their inability to work amicably with each other; they could cover his ass for once.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **From next chapter:**

 _ **"Moving out? Since when?"**_

 _ **"Uh, about 4 PM yesterday, I bought a house."**_

 _ **"You what?"**_

 _ **"Jung, try to keep up." So said, curtly.**_

 _ **"Does this have anything to do with the girlfriend of yours that moved back to Seoul?"**_

 _ **"How do you know about Hae Soo?"**_

 _ **"Eun freaked out yesterday after you called him, and conference called me and Baek Ah about how you were acting weird. Baek Ah told us you had ran into an old girlfriend." Jung explained then frowned. "Hae Soo you said?"**_


	5. Five: Fill In the Blanks

**Hello everyone!**  
 **Another week, another chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it.**

 **Thank you so so much for taking the time to read! and thanks to Sandy for all the help! ;)**

 _To Melimelo:_ Well, so has his priorities well stablished and they are Seol and So, and that's going to dictate all his actions. I hope you enjoy this chapter

* * *

 **Chapter FIVE**

 _ **Present Day**_

Wang Jung was, by far, the most laid back out of Wang Geon's sons. As the baby of the family, he had been given freedoms his older brothers had never even dreamed of. Like being able to pick what to study and how to spend his time and whether or not he wanted to be a cog in the Taejo Group Machine.

Which, for the record, he didn't. He saw how it had consumed his brothers and wanted no part of it. It was the only point of discord he had with his mother which is why he tried to come and go as discreetly as possible.

Knowing that by 10 A.M. no one would be home—even his mother left around 9:30 to do whatever his mother did—Jung returned home at 10:15, after a 7-mile run and two hours at the gym (sure, he could work out at home but what was the fun in that?). He was surprised when he found So still at home.

In fact, his brother was industriously throwing clothes and other personal items into two suitcases. It was done rather haphazardly for a man that usually packed each item of clothing into its own little plastic bag because he didn't like things mixing inside his suitcase.

"What're you doing?" Jung asked.

So turned to see a sweaty and disheveled Jung eating cereal out of what looked like a serving dish. "Packing."

"Going on a trip?"

"I'm moving out."

Jung choked and sputtered, spraying bits of cereal and milk all over the floor. Normally, So would have berated him for it, but now he just looked at the floor and went back to packing. It wasn't his problem anymore. "Moving out? Since when?"

"Uh, about 4 PM yesterday. I bought a house."

"You _what_?"

"Jung, try to keep up," So said curtly.

"Does this have anything to do with that girlfriend of yours that moved back to Seoul?"

"How do you know about Hae Soo?"

"Eun freaked out yesterday after you called him, and conference called me and Baek Ah about how you were acting weird. Baek Ah told us you had run into an old girlfriend." Jung explained then frowned. "Hae Soo, you said?"

"Yes, why?"

"It sounds familiar, is all."

"Did she call?"

Jung crunched his cereal thoughtfully, irritating So, but he put up with it. "No. I don't think so. She did write to you, though."

"WHAT?" So fairly roared and Jung took a step back.

"Y-yes. When you and Yo moved back here after father had the heart attack? Remember you used to send me to your old apartment to pick up your mail, before you sold it?"

"I remember."

"The first time I went there there were a bunch of letters from her. There were always some, actually. I always left them in father's room for you since you always checked there first whenever you arrived home."

"Father knew Hae Soo was writing to me?"

"I think so?"

That's all it took for So to storm out and go straight for his father's study, Jung close at his heels.

"Hyung, what are you doing?" Jung asked in raising panic.

To both their surprises, their father was still there, and he did not appreciate the way So had thrown the door open. "Where are they?" So asked, his voice suspiciously calm and at odds with the explosive energy coming out of him.

"Wang So, I don't know what you're talking about. And shouldn't you be at a meeting right now?"

"I don't give a fuck about meetings or your company. I want to know where Hae Soo's letters are. The ones you've kept from me for five goddam years."

"Is that what this is about? That little gold digger you were going to throw your life away over?" Wang Geon scoffed. It was not a smart move.

"Where are they?" He asked again. Something in his voice must have finally cut through his father's disdain because Wang Geon's gaze flickered to the side, to one of the drawers in his desk.

So went around the desk and began tearing out the drawers until he found a locked one. He didn't even bother asking for the key—he knew he wouldn't get it. Instead, he grabbed the nearest thing he could find (an antique sword that had been in the family since the late Goryeo period) and began to hack at the desk until he got what he wanted.

"There must be at least fifty letters here." So said once he found what he was looking for. He picked up the two stacks of letters tied together with rubber bands. Soo's neat handwriting was on every envelope. "Did it not occur to you these might be important?"

Wang Geon was sputtering, livid over the way So had destroyed his antique desk and the family's sword. "You needed to focus on the company! Those letters were irrelevant!"

"You mean you decided your company was more important than how miserable I was."

"They're just some letters. She stopped writing after a few months."

"Nine. Nine months. When she figured I didn't want anything to do with our daughter because I never answered her back."

"Daughter?" This came from Jung, who had been staring in awe the entire time.

"Daughter?" echoed Wang Geon.

"Yes, I have a daughter, and thanks to you I missed the first years of her life."

"Are you sure she's yours?"

So picked up the nearest thing he could grab (a cut-glass paperweight) and threw it against the wall before he could answer. "Because you're my father, I'll pretend you didn't just say that."

"If that child is really a Wang," his father went on, clearly clueless, "you must bring her here. God knows what manners her mother has taught her, but I'm sure we can—"

So laughed. And it was not pleasant. It was the laugh that made his underlings scurry in fear and get out of his way. "Do you think I would take Seol from the only parent she has ever known? Or that I would bring her here if I did?"

"Wang So, we are in the middle of selecting the next president of the company. The family must present a united front."

"I don't care about your damn company. I will protect my daughter how I see fit; and if I can help it neither you nor Mother will ever see her."

-0-0-0-

 _ **Five years ago**_

Wang So was convinced his life was perfect, all by virtue of being loved by Hae Soo. He and Soo had been together for about nine months already, and they had so many plans: things they wanted to do together, places they wanted to see together. So had questions he wanted to ask her…

Soo had been having troubles with her roommate's boyfriend (which translated to problems with her roommate) for a while now, and these days she spent more time at his apartment than her own. They practically lived together.

That's the first question he wanted to ask her: _If she would move in with him already!_

He was even looking at bigger places. The apartment was nice, but he wanted them to have more space. His favorite so far was a house with a big garden where she could grow her own plants for the herbal remedies and cosmetics she was always messing with. The house also had lots of room for when they decided to start a family.

But for that, he needed to ask her the second question: _If she wanted to go to Paris with him for Baek Ah's graduation._ He had already booked the plane tickets, even though he knew she didn't like it when he threw his money around like that.

In all honesty, Baek Ah's graduation was just the excuse—though he did want them to meet, as they were the two people he loved the most in this world—his real intention was to find the perfect moment to ask her the third question: _If she wanted to be his wife._

Soo was making him breakfast dressed only in one of his t-shirts and chattering about a movie she wanted to see later (somehow it was _always_ her turn to pick the movie, So thought suspiciously) when his phone rang.

Distractedly, So picked it up and was surprised to see his brother Jung's number. His eighteen year old brother never called him unless he had gotten into a fight at school and it was So's turn to go bail him out.

"Jungie?" He said into the phone, knowing how much his youngest brother hated that moniker.

"Hyung?" Jung's voice sounded uncharacteristically young.

Five seconds later, So understood why. His youngest brother was scared. Apparently, Wang Geon has collapsed while out playing golf with investors and was now being rushed to the hospital.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Soo offered as she helped him get dressed and to cover his scar. He rarely bothered when it was just her, but still did it in front of his family.

So really wanted to say yes but knowing his mother would be there and how erratic her behavior could be where he was concerned, he thought it was best if Soo stayed behind. "No but thank you for offering." He said instead, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "I'll call you as soon as I know something."

Soo nodded, but couldn't help clinging to him a little when he gave her a proper kiss before walking out the door.

Over the next few days, their only contact would be the phone calls and text messages he snuck to her while waiting at the hospital, but they didn't know that yet.

Just as they didn't know, that was the last time they would see each other for a long, long time.

-00-

 _ **Present day**_

Soo had been thinking about So all day. Was it really possible he hadn't gotten her letters? Objectively speaking, he had never lied to her before, and Soo wanted to think she had known him pretty well. But if he hadn't lied, what did that mean?

As if she had conjured him, So was waiting outside her apartment door when she and Seol arrived that afternoon.

"I don't want to fight," So said before she could speak. "But we need to talk."

"Okay."

Since Seol said she was hungry, So offered to take them out to eat and Soo agreed, thinking that at least in a public place they had a better chance at not yelling at each other too much.

Seol asked So all type of questions as they walked to a café that bordered the neighborhood's park. From one of the outdoor tables they could keep an eye on Seol as she played while their food arrived.

"How did you find me anyway?"

"My cousin works at the National Dance Company, and has access to personnel files."

"Your cousin?" She asked perplexed. Then it hit her: the man she had been standing next to when she had seen Seol with him.

"Baek Ah," So confirmed.

"Oh."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, watching Seol make fast friends with a group of kids. Finally, So sighed. "I found the letters."

"I see."

"My father hid them all this time."

Soo took a deep breath. "Well, he always did think I was a gold digger. I'm not surprised. That's what Secretary Choi said when he fired me."

"Ji Mong was involved?"

Soo nodded.

"That's probably why I never found out exactly what happened. He's crafty. Could you tell me what happened?

Soo sighed. "You know I was having trouble with my roommate, right? One day I went home and there were all these people there, saying I owed them money – they didn't actually know what I looked like so I managed to sneak off and stay with Myung Hee for the night. She said we would look into it; but when I got to work the next day, one of those people was already there and she made this huge scene. It was mortifying. Secretary Choi got security to escort the woman out but then he fired me. Said I reflected badly on the company."

"I'm sorry."

Soo shrugged. "Myung Hee's husband found out my roommate and her boyfriend had borrowed money in my name. And she thought it was best if I laid low while things were sorted out and through some acquaintances, she found me the job with Madame Oh. I went to the hospital to let you know but Mr. Choi was there and wouldn't let me go through. So I went to your apartment and slid a note in your mailbox, but I guess you never got it.

"I never did go back to the apartment after my father had the heart attack. He asked Yo and me to move into the estate to help him out and keep an eye on Jung. He had been getting into fights at school since before my father's heart attack.

"Yo hired someone to pack up both our places and I used to send Jung to pick up my mail before I sold the apartment; he remembered your name. He told me he always left your letters with the rest of the mail in my father's room because I always checked on him when I arrived home from work."

"We both got screwed, it seems." Soo said, tired more than angry. "Is it safe to say you'll want to be in her life now?"

"Yes."

"So, how soon can I expect a call from your lawyer?"

"I thought maybe we can keep the lawyers out of it. I've looked into it, and I think arbitrage might be our best option."

"What's that?"

"Instead of hiring two lawyers to battle it out and say nasty things about each other, we just hire one lawyer to mediate between you and me and figure out what's best for Seol. I think I know someone who could do that."

"I'm not sure—"

"Arbitrage is not like a sentence from a judge; it's not legally binding unless we both agree to it. If you don't like what the mediator comes up with, we can still go to court afterward. Though I rather we don't."

"Keep your love-child on the down-low?" Soo half joked but it didn't land.

"More like we're going to be in each other's lives forever now so we might as well try to be amicable."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"It's not the worst I've heard today, believe me." So sighed tiredly. "What do you say?"

"We can give it a try. I guess. You look into it, and I'll look into the best way to tell her about you."

The waiter arrived with their food and Soo called out for Seol to come back to the table

"She looks just like you," He said in wonder as Seol began to run toward them.

She smiled. People always told her that, but Soo knew Seol's cheekbones were a little sharper, her chin a little pointier and, "I always thought she had your ears."

* * *

 **From Next Chapter:**

 ** _"It w-was… awful, hyung." Jung said._**

 _ **"We all know what So is like when he's angry, no need to exaggerate, Jung." Mu said calmly.**_

 _ **"I'm not. You should see what he did to father's desk. I have never seen him like that." Jung said, pointing in the general direction of their father's office, which Wang Geon hadn't left all day. "On the other hand, I can't really blame him for it."**_

 _ **"Just tells us what happened." Yo urged. "Without taking detours."**_

 _ **Jung seemed to think for a moment. "So-hyung has a daughter, and because of father's meddling, he just found out now."**_

 _ **"Oh, fuck."**_


	6. Six: Where it Hurts

**Hello everyone! Here again, wishing you enjoy the next chapter!**

 **I don't think I've mentioned but I'm not yet sure how long the story will be, I think that at least as long as 7 Days, probably longer, but there is no count yet. I do know where I'm going - more or less - so never fear!**

 **Thanks to Sandy for helping me with the edits and to you for taking the time to visit.**

 _To Melimelo:_ Thanks! I'm glad you liking the SoSoo interactions, I want to show that they are both smart and sort of trust each other. And yes, So will definitely want to be involved with his family now, ;) Thanks again!

 _To Guest:_ I'm sorry it seems to you like I'm just adding lots of plotlines from other fics, that's never my intention and if it has happened it has been accidental and probably just the result of the use of the similar tropes. I'll continue to write this story to the best of my abilities. Thanks.

* * *

 **Chapter SIX**

 ** _Present Day_**

Wang Yo was ready to beat his younger brother to a pulp. Never mind that So was a black belt in various forms of martial arts...Wang Yo was furious enough. That was the thought that had kept him going throughout the day, as he and Mu picked up the slack on the second day So had just vanished.

He would never admit it, but he was also worried. Out of all of them, So was the one who had no life outside the company as far as anyone could tell. Yo couldn't possibly imagine what had caused this strange behavior.

Sadly, the beating he planned would have to wait.

"What do you mean, So moved out?!" Yo roared, pacing in front of Jung and Mu, who had come home with him to deal with their younger brother.

"It w-was… awful, hyung." Jung said.

"We all know what So is like when he's angry. No need to exaggerate, Jung," Mu said calmly.

"I'm not. You should see what he did to father's desk. I've never seen him like that," Jung said, pointing in the general direction of their father's office, which Wang Geon hadn't left all day. "On the other hand, I can't really blame him for it."

"Just tell us what happened," Yo urged. "Without taking detours."

Jung seemed to think for a moment. "So-hyung has a daughter, and because of father's meddling, he just found out now."

"Oh, fuck."

-0-

Having more or less settled things with Hae Soo, Wang So decided to actually go to work. It was either dealing with work or thinking about Soo and Seol all day so he decided to be productive. By the time both his brothers arrived, So had already been working for an hour, rescheduling meetings and dealing with whatever he could over the phone.

He was vaguely surprised to realize that Hwang Bo Wook had actually managed to fulfill his end of the contract Taejo Group had with him on time. So had totally forgotten that he had threatened him with legal action (So really needed to keep better track of those things).

"Oh, so you do remember you work here?" Yo asked sarcastically when they ran into each other outside the conference room.

"I can leave if you want me to," So said, turning as if ready to do just that.

"Stop it already," Yo snapped. "Are you attending the shareholders' meeting?"

"Why else would I be standing here?" So answered, reaching for his phone to turn it off but stopping when Hae Soo's name flashed on the screen. "Excuse me."

"The meeting will start soon," Yo said, annoyed.

So ignored him and answered the phone instead.

"I was going to call you later," So said into the phone before Soo could speak. "We have an appointment tomorrow at 11 A.M. Is that okay? Or do you need me to move it?"

"Eleven?" Soo repeated, her voice a little strange. "I-I think that's fine."

"Soo-yah, is something wrong?"

"Mmm—No. Well...something did happen today."

So listened, not moving or answering when the board members arrived and greeted him. He thought he couldn't be angrier at his father, but he had been wrong. He reassured Soo, thanked her for calling him first rather than jumping into conclusions and said he would pick her up from the National Theater at 10:30 AM the following day. He also told her not to worry.

-0-

Hae Soo had been shocked when she had been served with custody papers almost as soon as she had walked into the National Theater. Just the previous day she and So had agreed to try arbitrage, and now he was doing this?

"Seol's father is Wang So from the Taejo Group?" Madame Oh's eyebrows went up, reading the papers Soo had handed her.

Soo nodded. "I don't know what to think. It's not like him to just go back on his word."

"Then call him," Madame Oh suggested. "Maybe it's a mistake, or something else. Maybe it wasn't him," She added cryptically.

"All right," Soo agreed, thankful they had exchanged phone numbers the previous day. Soo bit her lip as she dialed his number, thinking maybe he was busy. But So picked up after the first ring, and started to tell her about an appointment.

That calmed her down a bit and when he asked what was wrong, she found herself babbling everything. So had gone quiet; and Soo could tell even through the phone that he was mad. "Don't worry about that, I'll deal with it," He said finally. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at 10:30, and we'll proceed with what we agreed."

"Okay," Soo hung up and took a deep breath. "He said we'll do what we agreed to and not to worry about those papers. I don't think he sent them. Who did it though?"

"I think I know. But don't worry. I'll handle it."

"So said he would do it."

"Just think of me as insurance," Madame Oh said with a smile. "I'll get rid of this, you just get to work."

-0-

Wang So took his place at the conference table and barely listened as various executives gave progress reports. They discussed profit projections and arguments broke around him. He was too consumed in planning his next move. So never thought he was a particularly vengeful person but he couldn't let his father get away with what he had done. Lines needed to be drawn.

And then, the perfect opportunity simply landed on his lap.

"According to our internal guidelines, it's now time to select the candidates for President," Choi Ji Mong, the company's General Secretary, announced.

As expected, Wang Geon proposed Mu and was supported by a sizable part of the board. Then one of the executives Yo had in his pocket proposed him as president, with the support of his own fraction of executives. Suddenly, another argument broke out.

"I think we need a third candidate," Wang Gyu's voice cut through the noise. Most people tended to see Eun's grandfather as a nuisance, but the old man was wily and surprisingly pragmatic. "Clearly the board is divided; we need more options."

"I don't think that's necessary," Wang Geon tried to interrupt but the idea had already taken hold.

As COO, So was the natural third candidate. He knew more about the internal workings of the company than any other executive and Wang Gyu quickly pointed that out, and was seconded by not an insignificant number of board members.

"Wang So has never shown any interest in the position, however," Wang Geon said. His meaning was quite plain: he did not want So in the running.

That sealed it then.

"Who am I to oppose the will of the board?" So said, his voice icy calm.

"Then you accept the candidacy?" Wang Gyu asked.

"It'll be my honor."

-0-

Less than half an hour later, the rest of the board was gone, leaving only Wang Geon and his sons.

"What the hell were you thinking in accepting?" Wang Geon raged.

"If you're wondering that, then you aren't as sharp as you used to be..." There was a deliberate pause, meant to make the next word sound like an insult: "...father."

"You will regret this," Wang Geon snapped before leaving.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't." So replied cryptically, moving to leave as well.

"Did you see that coming?" Mu asked Yo once they were alone.

Yo looked up, surprised. Mu was six years older than him and had always been held up by their father as the shining example of what he wanted in a son. In his thirty four years of life, Yo could never recall Mu really talking to him out of his own volition.

"I knew he would do something," Yo said finally. "It makes sense that he did this."

"It does?" Mu asked, sounding genuinely confused. Mu had always thought he knew So fairly well as they had worked closely together since So joined the company.

Yo laughed, almost sounding like So. "Father's deepest wish is for you to have the company. So and I don't matter to him. If Jung had shown any interest in the company it would have been the same for him."

"I'm sure that's not-"

"True?" Yo cut him off. "He liked your mother better, simple as that. And anyway, So is just hitting father where it hurts him the most."

-ooo-

Twenty Years Before.

Wang Yo would never forget when he realized what a precarious role he had in the complex structure of his family. He had always known his mother was unstable, but after what his father referred to as "So's accident" a few of years before – when, in one of her rages, their mother had used a glass to cut six-year-old So's face – it had become clear to Yo that he couldn't trust his mother, no matter that she had always reserved all her vileness for her middle son.

When So had been sent off to live with their aunt and cousins, a part of Yo had been glad that his little brother was safer now. With So gone, Yo didn't have to hide him from their mother or be on the look-out all the time.

Instead, Yo learned to adapt to the contrasting expectations of his parents: his mother always pushing him to excel and his father always holding him back so he didn't overshadow Wang Mu's accomplishments. It was like painting inside of a canvas that had already been fitted with a magnificent frame, being constantly reminded not to step out of bounds.

Still, nothing had prepared him for the conversation he had overheard between his parents shortly after his fourteenth birthday. That night, he had gone down to the kitchen for a snack, as he still had at least two more hours of homework before he could sleep. He had been fixing himself a sandwich when the sounds of the front door slamming closed and his father's angry footsteps signaled that his parents were back from the dinner party they had attended.

"I don't know why you're so angry. This is a good thing," Yoo Shin Myeong's voice carried in the quiet house. "You've been after an alliance with the Kangs for years!"

The sound of shattering glass startled Yo, as did his father's angry words. "For Mu! I wanted Mu to marry into a family like the Kangs to support his position! What use is it for me if your son marries one of the Kang girls?"

"Yo is also your son, and you would do well in remembering that!" Yoo Shin Myeong yelled right back.

"Just like you should remem-"

"Don't even mention that hateful creature!" His mother snapped. Even the thought of So angered her. But after a moment, she continued in a more normal voice. "Besides, Minister Kang would have never consented to marry one of his daughters to the son of someone as low born as Ryu Sin Hye."

"She might not have belonged to a family like the Yoos, but she was a much better woman than a viper like you will ever be," Geon said. "Now, let's get something very clear: No matter who you make your son marry or what family you get to support him, he will only rise so far in MY company. The Taejo Group will be for Mu and no one else."

-00-

Present Day.

As a young woman trying to make her way into the ballet world, Oh Soo Yeon had learned a trick of two, but walking in like you owned the place and taking no for an answer was probably the best one. Oh Soo Yeon checked her appearance in the car before letting the driver open her door. Then she strode into the building like she owned it and before anyone could stop her, she was walking into the top floor.

She hadn't been in this building in over twenty years, but she still remembered where his office was. Taking a deep breath, Oh Soo Yeon readied herself for battle.

"Tell him Oh Soo Yeon is here; he'll see me." She said to the pretty, young secretary that had stopped her outside his office.

"I'm afraid it's just not possible to see Chairman Wang-" the secretary began to say.

"Your job, dear," Madame Oh said, politely but implacably, "is to inform him of his visitors."

The woman's mouth twisted in displeasure, but she did reach for the phone. Taking advantage of the secretary's moment of distraction, Madame Oh reached for the door and threw it open just as the secretary let out a shrill cry.

"You have a moment, I'm sure," Madame Oh said as her eyes settled on Wang Geon, barely sparing a glance to the other two men in the office; one being his eldest son Mu, and the other being Taejo's General Secretary Choi Ji Mong.

Wang Geon had the gall to smile at her. "Oh Soo Yeon, it's been a while."

"Not nearly enough," She answered with hostility as she strode forward which surprised him and he hastily nodded to the other two men to leave.

"You look old… but on the other hand, you never change." She added, reaching the desk and tossing the documents Soo had received that morning.

"What are you doing with these?" Wang Geon said, recognizing the stationary from the lawyer he employed for the things he knew his own internal counsel wouldn't touch.

"With the custody papers you served the mother of your granddaughter behind your son's back, you mean?"

Mu froze at the door and wouldn't move no matter how much Ji Mong pushed. Now it made sense why So had been acting like he had in the meeting.

"How do you know that girl?"

"That doesn't concern you. Just know that Hae Soo is not alone. I love her and Seol as if they were my own, and I won't let you hurt them. You have caused enough damage in this lifetime."

"I'm just doing what's best for my family."

Madame Oh laughed without of mirth. "That's rich."

"Oh Soo Yeon," He said sternly. "That child is a Wang and needs to be with her family."

"She is with her mother. She's getting to know her father; what other family does she need? You? Yoo Sin Myeong? With what we both know she's capable of doing?

"I can keep my wife in check."

"When have you ever been able to do that?" She questioned him. "When she disfigured your son? When she did this to me?" Madame Oh pointed to her leg and cane. "Or when she killed my baby? Because as I recall, you just let her get away with it. All of it."

"Father?" Mu's voice cut through the charged silence Soo Yeon's tirade left behind.

"I think it's time you left."

"I agree. But just know this: I'm not the naive girl you seduced nor am I the grief-stricken woman you cast aside. I've known you since before you were Taejo's Wang Geon and I will destroy you if you try to get near Soo and Seol again."

* * *

 ** _From the next chapter:_**

 ** _He turned to face her, and there she was, gorgeous as ever. "So, you are back._**

 ** _Hwangbo Yeon Hwa smiled. "I'm back."_**

 _.._

 **also, historically Wang Mu was the son of Taejo with his second wife from the Oh clan, but for purpose of this story I used the name of Taejo's first wife from the Ryu clan with whom he didn't have any offspring.**


	7. Seven: Memories and Lies

**Hello everyone! I'm sorry this is a bit late... I actually got distracted watching House Hunters International, lol, such a fake show but it's so addictive! LOL... anyway!**

 **Thanks for reading and thanks to Sandy-belle for always helping me!**

To jkim1: Hi! Thanks for that, I just checked the terminology very superficially and it sounded okay, since I don't really know how the Korean legal system works. So thanks.

 **Chapter SEVEN**

 ** _Present Day_**

The office of Park Soon Deok was a little messy and a lot charming, kind of like its owner. Hae Soo liked both immediately. Soon Deok was a couple of years younger than Soo and had recently graduated from law school. Soon Deok had rejected all job offers and elected to start her own small firm.

So's cousin Eun had actually been her first client when he decided to start his own game manufacturing company. So knew she was competent, and having known her almost all her life, he also knew she was trustworthy.

"Soon Deok-ah is Park So Kyung's daughter, head of the company's legal department."

"Oh."

"But don't worry, Unnie." Soon Deok said, correctly guessing the destination of her thoughts. "As your daughter's attorney, my function is to make sure she gets what she needs. I don't take sides other than hers."

"Ok," Soo said with a little more conviction, taking the seat So was holding out for her.

"Okay, good!" Soon Deok clapped her hands and settled back into her seat across from them. She opened a big folder and turned on an old-fashioned recorder. "So, first things first. I would recommend we start with a paternity test."

"I'm not contesting paternity," So said firmly. "I'm claiming it."

"Oh, I know. It's not for that. But you had mentioned on the phone that you wanted to rewrite your will as well."

"Yes, I want Seol to get everything if something happens to me."

"That's it exactly. You know how Chaebol families are like, So-Oppa. If something happened to you, your family could argue she's not yours try to take your assets. If Soo-Unnie wanted to fight it, they wouldn't get away with it, but why go through all that trouble if we can settle it now?"

"Good point," So agreed. He didn't think his brothers would do something like that... but his mother and father? He couldn't be sure; they weren't on the best of terms.

Soon Deok handed him a list of laboratories that specialized in paternity tests. "Do you want me to rewrite your will too, Unnie?"

"I don't have one," Soo admitted. "Not really swimming in assets."

Soon Deok didn't blink. "You can still set guidelines for how and who you want to have a say in your daughter's upbringing if something happens to you. I can draft the standard outline and you can just tell me which people you want involved next time."

Over the next hour, Soon Deok brought up issues Soo hadn't even thought of and steered them into compromises on how they would work toward shared custody once Seol grew used to him. Soo didn't want child support but agreed to let So pay for health insurance and school fees once a spot opened up.

"I think this is a very good start," Soon Deok said eventually, noticing they both looked a bit tired. "I'll get working on these agreements and we can review them in a week. I'll also get started on changing the birth certificate before Seol starts school so there are no issues later on."

They both thanked her and agreed to meet in a week to review the agreements they had reached and see if anything else cropped up.

"She's really nice," Soo commented as they walked back toward his car.

"She is."

"I remember seeing her around the office in her high school uniform years ago."

"She has always been very close to Park So Kyung. Ever since her grandmother died, it has been just the two of them."

"How come she's not working for her father, then?"

"She didn't want to. Says she wants to do some good in this world rather than help rich people get richer. Soon Deok-ah said that to my father's face when he offered a job at her graduation dinner."

Soo laughed. "That must have gone over well."

"Park So Kyung scolded her, but he's really proud as can be," So said with a grin. The look on his father's face had been priceless. "Anyway, do you want to have lunch? I didn't know how long the meeting would last so I cleared all my morning appointments."

"Um, sure," Soo said. "Wasn't that BBQ place we liked around here?"

"Yeah, we can see if they're still open."

…

Hae Soo thought it would be awkward to eat with So at one of their old favorite places, especially without Seol to act as a buffer. But it was surprisingly easy to spend time together. They weren't talking as they used to, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"Which schools are you considering for Seol?" So asked as they sat down.

Soo named the three schools she was waiting to hear back from and then added: "They said they'll call me if a spot opens up, but that we still have to go through an interview to see if they'll take her."

"I'll make a few calls to see if I can speed things up," So said, making a note in his phone. At Soo's glare he asked, "What?"

"What makes you think they'll give us an appointment if you call?"

So blinked. "I'm rich, remember?"

Soo actually smacked him with the paper menu in her hands. "Just for that, I'm getting beef. The pricey kind. And you're paying."

So laughed. "Get whatever you want."

…00…

Wang Yo knew this had to stop. His life was in enough turmoil without him adding unnecessary complications. But the truth was that, whenever she called, he invariably answered. Yo didn't even know why at this point. There had been nothing between them for years.

"I'm sorry, Mun Seong," He found himself saying. "I'm swamped at the office. So's attitude lately has been causing plenty of extra work." _Well done, Yo,_ he thought to himself, _blame it on your younger brother._

"It's alright, I understand," his fiancée answered. "At least you called before I started cooking the meat. That's progress!" She added, trying to sound upbeat.

"Yeah, I'm not that bad," Yo complained, smiling despite himself and enjoying her small chuckle until…

"Should I wait up for you?" Mun Seong asked softly. Technically, Yo lived at the Wang Estate with his parents and brothers. Both he and So had given up their apartments when Wang Geon had that heart attack five years before but ever since then—which coincided with the time when they began being intimate—he often stayed at her place.

Yo looked down at the whiskey in front of him. "I think I might be very late, so I'll just go home tonight. Plus, I really need to check on Jung in the morning. He isn't taking So's moving out very well."

Great, now he was also bringing his baby brother into it.

"All right. Lunch tomorrow?"

"I think-" _I have a meeting_ he began to say but he could already hear her dejected sigh. "...that's fine, if you don't mind if it's a little late. Say 1:30?"

It would be more like 2:00 pm, and he would have to shuffle many things around, but that's what he got for being a lying bastard.

"That's okay. I'll meet you at your office," Mun Seong said more cheerfully, "Don't overwork yourself. And text me when you get home."

"You'll be asleep."

"But when I wake up, I'll know you're fine."

"All right, I will. Sweet dreams."

As the call ended, Yo took a big swig of his drink, and set his phone on the bar. He was too old for this shit.

"Oppa," a flirtatious voice said as a delicate hand settled on his shoulder, her perfume all around him.

He turned to face her. There she was, gorgeous as ever. "So, you're back."

Hwangbo Yeon Hwa smiled. "I'm back."

-0-

 **Nine Years Before**

In the back of his mind, sometimes Wang Yo wondered if it was all right that he was dating Hwangbo Yeon Hwa as he was not a free man technically. Thanks to his mother's meddling, he was engaged to some girl from the Kang Family who was still in high school—why his mother chose someone so much younger than him, he didn't know.

Since his fiancée was still a minor, he had been pretty much free to do as he pleased with his romantic life up until now. His little fiancé would be of age soon and he would have to end things with Yeon Hwa.

Often, Yo wished that his mother had picked someone like the Hwangbo heiress for him. Yeon Hwa was exactly his type: beautiful, refined, sophisticated and with very few inhibitions in the bedroom. Not to mention, closer to his own age.

In contrast, all he knew about Kang Mun Seong was that she had neat handwriting, as she had written to him a few times when he had been doing his conscription. The letters had been a bit boring, filled with teenage-girl nonsense, but at least they had distracted him at the time. He had even been a little miffed when she stopped as abruptly as she had started.

"Oppa! Are you even listening to me?" Yeon Hwa complained, bringing him out of his reverie.

"I'm sorry, princess, I spaced out." Yo answered with a charming smile that usually made her panties drop.

Yeon Hwa pouted. "I was asking if you wanted to come to my parents' vacation home this weekend since it will be empty, but I guess you don't want to..."

"Of course, I want to," Yo said easily while he poured her more wine.

Yes, he would have to end this relationship sooner rather than later, but there was no reason why he couldn't have fun while it lasted.

-00-

 ** _Present day_**

Kang Mun Seong sighed, looking down at the mess she had made in her kitchen, and the slabs of meat she was going to put on the grill.

But not tonight.

She should have learned by now not to make real plans with him. Yo had been so stressed lately; she didn't want to add to it.

"You are an idiot, Mun Seong," She admonished herself. "Like a home cooked meal would have really helped him."

With a sigh, she began to clean up and put away the food. She might as well make herself a cup of noodles if she was going to eat alone.

She was in the process of getting a pot from the cupboard when her phone beeped again. Excited, Mun Seong reached for it, thinking maybe Yo had a change of plans and decided to come over after all, but instead it was just a text from her older sister, Mun Gong.

 ** _Did you see this? - MG_**

That was all the text said, next to a link which, against her better judgement, Mun Seong clicked. It took her to the 'Society' section of the Seoul Times' digital edition.

"Heiress Hwangbo Yeon Hwa spotted arriving in Seoul this afternoon." Mun Seong read, her heart sinking.

Idiot that she was, Mun Seong reached back to steady herself, too late to remember that the hot grill on the stove took forever to cool off even though she had turned it off already.

Mun Seong yelped and pulled her hand back, looking at the angry red marks all over her palm and the side of her left hand. Great, now she'd have to go to the hospital.

This night kept getting better and better.

For a moment, Mun Seong considered asking her sister to drive her. But that would mean discussing Yo and Yeon Hwa, and Mun Gong would enjoy sinking that knife. Almost twenty years later, and Mun Gong still resented that Yo's mother hadn't picked her to marry Yo, and instead (inexplicably) asked for Mun Seong.

To be honest, she was just as clueless as to why.

Either way, that didn't change the fact that—no matter how good their relationship was now—for Yo, Hwangbo Yeon Hwa was the one who got away. The one he had to give up in order to keep the contract their parents had entered them into.

Mun Seong still remembered the first time she had seen them together when she was eighteen and a senior in high school. Yo had been twenty five and she hadn't known him very well. Mun Seong wasn't even invited to his birthday parties—not to the one with his friends, nor to the one with his parents and relatives—though her parents always sent a gift on her behalf, and often did go to the formal dinner his mother hosted for him.

Mun Seong had tried writing to him during his military service but her letters usually went unanswered for weeks. And when answers did come, they were short and polite, so she stopped after a few months and he didn't seem to mind.

That day, she had gone to the movies with all the girls from her track and field team to celebrate the end of the season. The father of one of her teammates owned a trendy new restaurant in Gangnam and had treated them to lunch there.

She hadn't even seen him until one of her teammates pointed him out, sitting at a private booth with her. Hwangbo Yeon Hwa. They had been laughing and flirting, drinking wine while Mun Seong chewed on the straw of her soft drink, unable to look away.

Yeon Hwa was beautiful, with dark brown hair blown dried to perfection, fair skin and a dimple on her chin when she smiled. Her designer clothes fit her like a glove, striking a balance between ladylike and sexy, while Mun Seong sat there in her school uniform feeling inadequate.

Mun Seong tried to rationalize the whole thing, telling herself it was only natural he had a girlfriend. He was attractive, rich, and even if he was engaged to her, it was not like they could be together while she was still a minor and they had only penned a few letters in the past.

So yes, it was totally logic and rational. But it also struck Mun Seong how incredibly unfair it was. She would never have that: flirting with a handsome guy as they got to know each other, wondering where that path would take them.

And in that moment, Mun Seong had envied them, quickly and quietly, in a way she had never envied anyone before.

She was the daughter of a very high-ranking politician, went to one of the best schools in the country, was engaged to a scion of a powerful family… her whole life was already resolved. Had been resolved for her years ago. But in that moment, she felt small and worthless and trapped.

She had hated them both for it.

Mun Seong had turned her back to them and pretended to have a good time, trying to salvage whatever dignity her teenage-self had. And it almost worked… until she had bumped into him on the way out of the stupid restaurant.

He hadn't recognized her. At all.

To this day he still asked her why she claimed to hate that restaurant and refused to go when he liked the place and she had never even been there. Mun Seong would never tell him, of course, but that didn't change her reality. She now had to deal with a burnt hand and the torment of knowing Yeon Hwa was back in town.

* * *

From next chapter:

 ** _"I didn't sleep, I might have gotten Sunbae in trouble with your cousin and I need you to eat cupcakes with me."_**  
 ** _Eun smiled, "Do you want some milk with that?"_**  
 ** _"Chocolate if you have any." Soon Deok answered, feeling better already as she watched Eun pull out a frosty chocolate milk from the mini-fridge behind his desk._**


	8. Eight: Honey Bear

**Hi guys! Once again I come with apologies for being tardy, this week was a bit grueling at work, and then today we celebrated Father's Day - which was fun and all but implied us going out of the city to my cousin's place - *deep sigh***

 **So, I guess I should take the time to let you guys know that next week's chapter might be a bit late, because I just finished it and sent it off to Sandy last night... but luckily we had this weeks' chapter already done.**

 **I suck at keeping my cushion! LOL But I figured a few things last night - like with my central conflict is going to be - and I can say that chapter Nine is a bit longer than usual! :)**

 **But before that, here is chapter 8!**

 **I hope you guys like it, thanks for reading and thanks to Sandy for all her help.**

 **Ps - I do know that historical Mun Seong was from the Park Clan, but I wanted to give her a different last name than Soon Deok!**

to Guest: Sorry there wasn't more SoSoo in the last chapter, but I do plan to keep on writing about other chapters - Eun, Yo and Baek Ah mostly, and their relationships - sorry if that's a deal breaker for you. Thanks for your comments.

* * *

 **Chapter EIGHT**

 ** _Present Day._**

Usually, Park Soon Deok enjoyed the time she spent outside her office, either visiting clients or at the courthouse. It made her feel a little less isolated since she mostly worked alone in her firm of one. Once she became a little more established, she would hire a paralegal or a legal secretary, and maybe someday she would hire a second lawyer.

But right now, it was all on her, and she usually loved it. Except when she was sleep deprived due to having spent most of the previous night at the hospital with Kang Mung Seong. The two of them had gone to the same preparatory school and since they had both ran track and field, they had enjoyed a good 'sunbae-hobae' relationship, which they had rekindled when they realized they lived in the same neighborhood a couple of years ago.

So when Mun Seong had asked for a ride, she had been happy to comply…only that right now she wasn't the sharpest of knives due to the lack of sleep. Good thing that all she had in her agenda for today was dropping some documents for So-Oppa and then lunch with her father.

"If you need to make any changes, let me know tonight and I'll go over them with Unnie when I see her tomorrow."

"Thanks Soon Deok-ah, but I don't' think it'll be necessary."

"You two are being surprisingly reasonable with this whole ordeal. Most people in your position would be at each other's throats."

"I lost more than enough time with my daughter. I don't want to lose more by fighting with her mother, when it wasn't her fault what happened. As for Soo-yah, she doesn't hold grudges. She's almost TOO kind and relentlessly optimistic."

Soon Deok smiled. She had never heard So-Oppa talk like that; his voice actually changed when he mentioned Soo-Unnie, and even Soon Deok had noticed the way he always followed Soo with his eyes whenever they were in the same room.

"I like Soo-Unnie." Soon Deok said impulsively, "I actually remember her from when she worked here."

"She remembers you, too."

"I was always hanging around, wasn't I?"

"You still are, Honey Bear." Her father, Park So Kyung said from the door of So's office in the C-suite.

"Appa! I'm trying to be professional here! You shouldn't call me Honey Bear!"

"Don't mind me," So said, standing to greet Lawyer Park. "We're done, anyway."

"Good. I'm starving," Lawyer Park said.

"You always are, Appa." Soon Deok rolled her eyes. Then she remembered something else. "Oh! Oppa, are you coming to Jung's advancement test? It's in two weeks."

"Is he finally catching up with you?"

Soon Deok snorted, "No!" making both men laugh. After So himself, no one held more records at the dojang than Soon Deok.

"I will try to make it." Maybe he could ask Soo if they could take Seol. "I haven't seen Jung since I moved out."

"Let us know and we'll save you front row seats. You can even be in the trial if you want!"

"I´m too rusty for that, but thanks for the sentiment."

"Rusty my ass," Lawyer Park said under his breath, proud of his best student.

When Wang Mu had taken So to the dojang as a skinny 7-year-old, Park So Kyung never imagined the fighter he would become. Mu had been good—a regional champion even—but So was… single-minded, focused… he could have gone to the Olympics if he had wanted. But instead he enrolled for military conscription the second he had enough credits to graduate high school. He had competed for a while in college but refused to do Olympic trials. And the teacher inside Park So Kyung still wouldn't let it go.

Distracted as he was, both him and Soon Deok ran straight into Wang Yo. They bowed to each other, their relationship nowhere near as close as it was with Jung or So. To be honest, Wang Yo always made Soon Deok a little nervous. She didn't know how someone as gentle as Mun Seong could handle him, but as far as she knew, they had a good relationship and he _was_ terribly attractive. All the Wang Boys were, they had all hit the genetic jackpot.

To fill the silence as they waited for the elevator, Soon Deok asked, "How is Sunbae?"

"Pardon?"

"Mun Seong-unnie?" Soon Deok explained, "I meant to call her earlier to ask how she spent the night, but I haven't had the time."

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

Growing a little nervous under Yo's inscrutable gaze, Soon Deok stammered on, "He-her hand? She burned it last night and I drove her to the hospital."

"She what?" Yo fairly yelled, causing the office to stop in its tracks as his phone pinged with the alert for Mung Seong's messages. Looking at the screen, he saw it was yet another voice message. She had been sending them all morning, and Yo felt ashamed that he had found them vaguely annoying.

But that shame was nothing compared to the realization that Mun Seong had been hurt and hadn't called him… because she felt like she couldn't.

-000-

Soon Deok hoped she hadn't gotten Sunbae in trouble, but it weighed on her as she made her way to her office later that day. Her father had even brought her half a dozen cupcakes from her favorite bakery to make her feel better about the whole scene with Wang Yo.

When she got to her office building, Soon Deok made her way up to her floor, but instead of going right to where her office was, she went left and opened the door without bothering knocking.

As usual, the headquarters of HB Toys was happily buzzing with activity. HB Toys occupied all the other offices in her floor—they were technically her landlord and let her have her office space (in one of the most sought-after buildings in Seoul) for peanuts, basically—and there were always people running about, trying to meet various deadlines.

Up until she had set up her office here, she hadn't known how complicated running a toy company was. But at HB, people always seemed happy, which was what she needed right now. No one really bothered her when she walked inside. A few of the less frantic people waved at her and she waved back, sauntering toward the back office. She hoped that he wasn't too busy.

As usual, Wang Eun was calm in the midst of the happy chaos of his company, with music playing loudly as he nodded his head in rhythm and fiddled with some tools at his work table. Soon Deok sighed dramatically and let herself fall into the large couch in the corner of the office.

Eun stopped what he was doing, pushing whatever he was working on into one of the many cubby holes of his work table and turned towards her. "Miss Park, to what do I owe the honor?"

"I didn't sleep. I might have gotten Sunbae in trouble with your cousin and I need you to eat cupcakes with me."

Eun smiled. "Do you want some milk with that?"

"Chocolate if you have any," Soon Deok answered, feeling better already as she watched Eun pull out a frosty chocolate milk from the mini-fridge behind his desk.

Wang Eun sat next to Soon Deok and listened to her talk about her day, not caring that work was going to pile up for him. His staff knew to not bother him when Soon Deok visited him. They, as practically everyone who knew him, had long since figured out he had a massive crush on the pretty lawyer.

Everyone knew it, really, except for Soon Deok.

-0-

 ** _Twenty Years Before_**

Even as a second-grader, Park Soon Deok understood more than people gave her credit for. She understood her Umma had died, that her Appa was struggling, and that the strain of running a law firm—the firm her parents had started together when they graduated law school—and raising a small, grieving daughter, was too much for Park Soo Kyung.

That's why they had to leave their old house and move in with her grandparents, into the Dojang the Parks had run for generations—and where her father had never really stopped teaching martial arts, even as he made a name for himself as a lawyer. She knew her grandparents needed help with the dojang, and that her father needed help raising her. And that one of his appa's friends had offered him a good job at his company.

Soon Deok understood why they had to move. She really did.

That didn't mean she didn't hate her new school—which was a lot closer to the dojang—or the way the other kids kept making fun of her for being the new girl, for her rumpled clothes and messy pigtails, for being a tomboy (her own halmeoni was a tomboy herself, a fierce martial artist, and knew almost as little about being lady-like as Soon Deok did).

Plus, she really missed her Umma.

She tried not to be too sad around her dad, but the hole in her heart was still there.

Currently, Soon Deok was trying to both not break down in tears and avoid starting a brawl in order to get her lunchbox back from the kids that had taken it from her. It was one of the last things her mother had bought for her when Soon Deok was about to start first grade; in one of the last days her Umma had been well enough to go out by herself.

When the ringleader of the boys tormenting her had thrown the lunch box down and the hinge that kept it closed broke, Soon Deok had lost it. She had jumped at the boy and before long they were rolling around in the mud. A teacher had come to pull them apart and dragged them into the principal's office.

The principal had been in the middle of scolding her, when her father arrived and made a big scene, asking why his child was being scolded but not the bullies that that taken her things, and why hadn't the teachers been paying more attention and so on, until the principal had to apologize.

It had been the most animated Soon Deok had seen her appa since the funeral, and for that alone, getting into a brawl had been worth it.

Still, the next day, when she had to pull her lunch out of the paper bag her grandmother had used to pack it, Soon Deok couldn't help but mourn the loss of her lunchbox. Her father had promised to pick her up from school today and take her to buy a new one, which was good, but Soon Deok knew it wouldn't be the same.

Occupied with these gloomy thoughts, she didn't notice the small boy that approached her until he was sitting right next to her.

"I think this is yours," He said, startling her by holding out a lunchbox. Soon Deok was surprised to realize that it was _her_ lunchbox and that it was in much better shape than last time she had seen it, when the teacher that had taken her to the principal's office had thrown it into the trash.

"I fixed the hinge and cleaned it up," The boy proudly went on. "There was a scratch on the side, but I covered it with one of my best stickers." He pointed.

Soon Deok was speechless for all of three seconds before throwing her arms around the boy. "Thank you so much!"

"Yah! It's not a big deal!" He said, patting her awkwardly. "Just wanted to help a pretty girl."

Soon Deok pulled back and laughed. "I'm not pretty, but thank you. I'm Soon Deok, by the way."

"I'm Eun. Wang Eun."

-00-

 ** _Present Day_**

Seol took to Wang So like a duck to water, so much so that it was almost scary at times. Soo had always thought Seol was like her character wise—chatty, curious, and hyper sometimes. But when she saw father and daughter together, Soo could clearly see their similarities

Myung Hee always told her how when she had been a child, Soo hadn't been able to sit still, her mind going full speed ahead most of the time. For her, focus and patience took effort. They were skills she had acquired when she had gotten her work ethic. But for Seol and So it came naturally.

Whenever So came over to their apartment (which was pretty much every night), Seol would immediately stick to him. Sometimes he would read to her, or they would put puzzles together. So even endured tea-parties and whatever cartoon Seol was obsessed with at the moment.

In the end, telling her that Wang So was her father was easier than Soo had expected. Seol accepted the explanation for So's absence—that he had to take care of his sick father—and his reassurance that he wouldn't leave ever again; and added him to her life like he had always been there.

Co-parenting Seol turned out to be surprisingly easy… but as that part settled, the old feelings of their unfinished relationship, which they had buried and ignored for years now, began to rise to the surface. Not to mention the magnetic attraction between them.

Even a nun would have been aware of Wang So as a man, and Hae Soo was no nun.

"Are you busy this Saturday?" So asked her one night after they had tucked Seol in, and he gathered his things to leave. It really was the stuff of her fantasies, seeing So and Seol together, when she could pretend they were a happy family for a few hours every day when he came over.

"Not really, why?"

"Lawyer Park is having an exhibition at the dojang, and my brother Jung is having his advancement trial. I thought that perhaps you and Seol would like to come with me. She hasn't meet any of my brothers yet—only Baek Ah—and maybe you two could come have dinner at my place afterward since you haven't seen it yet."

Hae Soo suddenly smiled. "I remember you took me to an exhibition at the dojang for one of our first dates."

"I probably wanted to show off." So smiled back. Martial arts were one of the few things he had always been confident about.

"I'm sure I was very impressed." Soo giggled.

It was that giggle broke through Wang So's restraint; he had always loved when Soo laughed but when she giggled and scrunched up her nose like that… he always felt like kissing her, and before he knew it, he had cupped her cheeks and they were drawing closer, but before their lips actually touched, Soo turned her face away.

"I think we should sort out Seol first, before we...I mean, we haven't even talked about us and-"

"Let's talk then," So said, resting his forehead against hers for a moment before he startled nuzzling her hairline, dropping little kisses against her skin.

"We can't just pick up things where we left them."

"Why not?"

"Because I spent the last five years thinking you didn't want me and you probably thought the same… we both got hurt."

"I'm over it."

"It's not that easy."

"If there is a chance I can fully have you back in my life, then it is."

Soo took a deep breath and let it out in an exasperated huff. "God, you're stubborn."

"You like that about me."

Soo pursed her lips and gave him an incredulous look, before finally giving up. The man was irresistible when he set his mind to it. "Let's just take things slow, okay?"

Wang So, sneaky that he was, nodded and then quickly pressed his smiling lips to hers, stealing a kiss as if they were still teenagers.

"Okay."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note: From next chapter:**_

 _ **"Soo-yah, this is my brother Jung-ie."**_  
 _ **"Hyung! Don't call me that. It's embarrassing." Jung whined, making Soo laugh, which annoyed So.**_  
 _ **"It's nice to meet you. Your brother used to tell me a lot about you." She offered her hand, and Jung took it even though So glared**_

 _ **-**_  
 _ **Also... you know how I said I wanted to give Madame Oh some romance? how would you guys feel about it being with Soon Deok's dad? Just a thought.**_


	9. Nine: Sunny Day

**Hello everyone!**

 **I apologize for the delay... RL kinda has gotten a bit in the way as both Sandy and I are busy and dealing with stuff, so I'm afraid that the updates might be a bit unpredictable for a while longer!**

 **I'm very sorry! But I hope you guys can be a little patient with us! and that you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Thanks so much for sticking around, and to Sandy for being the awesomest ever.**

* * *

 **Chapter NINE**

 ** _Present Day._**

On Saturday morning, Baek Ah grumbled as he arrived at the national theater. He made his way to one of the smaller rehearsal spaces toward the back of the main building, all the while damning Hae Soo and her cute face that had extorted Baek Ah's secrets out of his besotted cousin.

If Wang So hadn't opened his big mouth, Baek Ah could have been sleeping in before waking up at midday and going out for a fabulous breakfast before Eun dragged him off to the Park Dojang for Jung's trial or exhibition (or whatever Eun's excuse was to go drool after Park Soon Deok).

But nope, instead he had to get up at an ungodly hour – for a Saturday – and go to work.

He had been innocently standing around, keeping Wang So company as his cousin waited for Hae Soo and Seol in order to take the two of them out for lunch. Then Soo had shown up, looking harried, and told him she had to cancel their plans because she needed to find a musician for the Traditional Dance Company's rehearsals.

"Baek Ah knows how to play traditional instruments."

At that, Hae Soo had turned her big, brown eyes on him and asked if he could help her out.

"Of course, he'll help," So answered before Baek Ah could open his mouth.

Then Seol-ie had come barreling into So's legs and asked about lunch. Baek Ah hadn't wanted Seol-ie to be disappointed, so he agreed.

But he was NOT happy – and he had made sure to let Wang So know! – yet, here he was.

To his surprise, the dancers were already gathered and seemed to be finishing their warm up; the pretty dancer Baek Ah had seen talking to Soo a few times seemed to be in charge.

Baek Ah didn't know her very well, but he had a small inkling that she hated his guts.

"You're late." She snapped at him in a whisper, all the while smiling through her pearly teeth.

"You're aware I'm doing you a favor, right?"

The girl harrumphed and vaguely motioned toward the one available chair in the room and the table with the instrument. "The music sheets are there."

Baek Ah unzipped his hoodie and sat down, pulling the table closer and adjusted the gayageum, glancing quickly at the notes of a well-known folk song.

"Ready when you are."

With a glare, he began to run his fingers over the chords, strumming the instrument. His fingers stumbled a little before the notes began to flow a little more easily. Out of the corner of his eye, Baek Ah could see the movement as the dancers started following their leader, as she led them through various steps.

And then he couldn't look away. There was something inherently graceful in the way she moved; it was mesmerizing.

-000-

Seol was happily humming to herself, strapped in like an astronaut in the booster seat So had gotten for his car. Her plushie wolf was sitting on her lap while she looked at the pictures of one of her books.

As he drove, So stole yet another glance at his daughter in the rearview mirror, and at the toy in her lap.

"I can't believe you've kept that thing all these years," So commented. He had been so surprised when, as he tucked Seol in one night, she asked for the toy. He had realized it was the one he had won for Hae Soo years before at an amusement park, shortly before they… separated.

"Seol loves it," Soo shrugged. "It was the only thing that got her to stop crying when we came home from the hospital. I still have to pry it from her arms when she sleeps so I can wash it."

So smiled, enchanted by even the smallest detail he learned each day about his daughter.

They drove for a couple minutes more until the dojang came into view.

"Oh, this place hasn't changed at all!" Soo said in awe as he parked.

"It has been the same since I was a kid." So said, getting out of the car and going around to help Soo out before unbuckling Seol.

They started walking in. Seol was between them, holding their hands, but after just a few steps, Seol let go of Soo and tugged at So's shirt. "Appa! Up!"

So smiled and lifted her high before setting her on his hip.

"Seol-ie! We have talked about this. You are a big girl now, and big girls don't need to be carried everywhere!" Soo admonished, already knowing it was a lost cause when Seol's bottom lip trembled and pushed out into a pout, before the little girl hid her face in So's neck.

"Yah it's okay," So said soothingly, patting Seol's head and back. "She'll walk in a little bit, right princess?"

"Yes, Appa!" Seol answered. She was happy in her perch, her pout already gone.

Soo shook her head but didn't push it. In the last couple of weeks, Seol had regressed to a few behaviors from when she was younger – like wanting to be carried and held all the time or pointing rather than talking – especially when So was around. Soo had checked in with the pediatrician, who told her it was normal given the recent changes (the move to Seoul and So's inclusion in her life) and that she probably just wanted her father's attention.

Since So was more than happy to baby their daughter, Soo didn't worry too much.

Instead, she enjoyed walking in the sun with her little family and didn't even startle too much when So reached for her hand. So had always been a hand-holder, she remembered that now.

There was a real festive atmosphere all around the dojang. There were paper-streamers, food stalls and even some other games installed around the garden that surrounded the dojang proper and separated it from the Parks' home. So promised Seol to take her to buy snacks once they said hello.

Inside the dojang, preparations were well underway. There would be an advancement trial for five of Master Park's students, including So's younger brother Jung, and an exhibition afterward. Many young people – both boys and girls – clad in their jis were moving mats and arranging the stands around the perimeter of the building so people could watch comfortably.

So walked around, saying hi to some of the older students who seemed to know him until they reached Park So Kyung and Soon Deok. They were busy arranging some tables and chairs where the sound equipment would go.

"Master Park!" So bowed, even while holding Seol. Maybe So had a higher rank at the Taejo Group, but at the Park Dojang, no one was above Park So Kyung.

"So, you do remember how to get here, uh?" Park So Kyung asked.

"Yah, I've been busy, that's all! You know that better than anyone!"

"No work-talk in the dojang, you know the rules!" Soon Deok interrupted. "I'm glad you came Unnie and that you brought Seol-ie!"

"Soon Deok-ssi! Seol said happily, reaching out with her arms. Since Soon Deok had been meeting with Soo often to hammer out the custody agreement, Seol had become quite familiar with the young lawyer – who was always willing to pick her up or play with her.

"Master Park," So said, handling Seol off to Soon Deok. "These are my girls, Soo and Seol."

"Thank you for having us," Soo said in greeting, not before digging her elbow into So's ribs.

"Honey Bear has told me a lot about you two," Master Park nodded a little shyly before turning to So. "Well now, since that lazy brother of yours isn't here yet, you can help me bring out the rest of the equipment."

"Now I remember why I don't visit as often," So complained but followed Park So Kyung to his office, chatting all the while.

Then Seol announced – loudly – that she needed to go to the bathroom, and Soon Deok offered to take her to the main house since it was less crowded there. Soon Soo found herself standing in the middle of the dojang, all alone.

"Yes, this isn't awkward at all," She mumbled to herself, pulling out her phone to at least check her messages while she waited. She was just reading the first email – a resume of someone applying to be Madame Oh's second secretary – when she was jolted by a tall, lanky young man who collided into her.

.

Jung was running late, and it was all his brothers' fault. With So acting weird and Yo being irritable about it, Jung had been rather distracted of late – and just when he needed to focus the most! – and he hadn't been sleeping well…which was probably why he had overslept that morning, after passing out in Eun's couch at two in the morning.

He knew that by now, Master Park was probably angry, so he needed to be sneaky about this, so neither Park So Kyung nor Soon Deok found him out. He had been looking out for them when he collided into a much smaller person.

"I'm so sorry!" He said, reaching out to steady her. It was a rather pretty girl.

"It's all right, nothing's broken." The girl smiled.

"I-I haven't seen you around before? Are you a friend of Soon Deok?" Jung asked, coming closer into her space.

"She's with me actually," a new voice said. "And you're late." Wang So stepped right in and pulled Soo back toward him.

"Hyung!" Jung said, straightening up and stepping back. "I-I didn't know you would be here." He added nervously.

"Soo-yah, this is my brother Jung-ie."

"Hyung! Don't call me that. It's embarrassing." Jung whined, making Soo laugh, which annoyed So.

"It's nice to meet you. Your brother used to tell me a lot about you," She offered her hand, and Jung took it even though So glared.

Hae Soo was cute, bubbly, and pretty, and Jung might have gotten an instant crush...which did not escape So's notice.

"You really should get a move on, Master Park is already angry at you."

"Oh, crap!" Jung said, and snuck off without even saying goodbye.

Eventually, Seol came back, already munching on a candied-apple that Soon Deok had bought her, and the three of them found seats to watch the whole thing.

-000-

Kang Mun Seong sat in silence in the passenger seat of Yo's car, trying not to sigh as her last conversation attempt died down after Yo answered with monosyllables yet again.

He had been irritable since the day after she burnt her hand. He had yelled at her over not calling him when she had been hurt until she had nearly cried. Then he had taken her to the hospital again because he wanted his own doctor to check her wound – which turned out to be a good thing, since she had gotten water into the dressing and it needed changing – and then driven her home in a huff. She hadn't even gotten lunch.

And sure, he had come back later that night with take-out and apologized for yelling at her, telling her it was just because he was worried. But the irritated distance between them was still there.

After all these years with him, she understood there was something else bothering him. He waved it off as being pressured at work, but she knew that wasn't it – Yo thrived on pressure, his analytical brain loved the challenge. This was something else entirely, and she suspected her name was Hwangbo Yeon Hwa.

She had been down this road with Yo before a number of times- after they had broken up, Yeon Hwa had opted to leave the country, first to Europe and later to the US, but she would return every couple of years to visit her family. Whenever Yeon Hwa was in the country, Yo became distant, easily annoyed by Mung Seong and just… checked out.

She didn't know if they even saw each other anymore – they had a lot of friends in common – but Mun Seong couldn't help feeling like he was always mentally comparing her to the sophisticated Yeon Hwa and finding her lacking. Eventually, Yeon Hwa would leave, and he would snap out of it. He usually took a few days off from work and took her for a short holiday, to make up for it.

"I think I'm going away next weekend," Mun Seong said suddenly.

"You are?"

Mun Seong looked down, playing with the ring on her finger. "I want to take some pictures in the mountains."

"I don't think it's a good idea with your hand still hurt," He said seriously. "And I can't go with you if that's what you're hinting at."

"I didn't ask you to go with me. I never do – I know you hate walking around and looking at the scenery while I take pictures."

"I don't hate it, I just don't find it very productive."

"I'm a photographer."

"I meant productive for me."

"Oh, that makes it better."

"Are you trying to pick a fight?"

"You think I could?"

"Sarcasm doesn't become you," Yo snapped.

"Thanks for letting me know," Mun Seong answered. But then she just felt tired and her voice got smaller. "Anyway, it doesn't matter, I haven't decided yet."

Yo sighed. He hated how Mun Seong always backed down whenever they were on the brink of a fight. It made him feel worse than actual screaming and recriminations, like he had kicked a puppy or something; which made him feel like she was trying to manipulate him, although he knew full well that was not the case.

Mun Seong was just confrontationally adverse. Probably because her older sister, Mun Gong, was a drama queen that thrived on it. Often, Yo thanked the heavens that his mother hadn't taken it into her head to marry him off to the elder Kang sister.

"I'll be busy either way, so just do whatever you think best," Yo said, letting go of the steer wheel for a moment to pat Mung Seong's hand ever so gently, mindful that she was still healing.

And then, he was lost again in his own thoughts – not registering that Mun Seong hadn't answered – and going over his last conversation with Yeon Hwa over and over again.

He had known meeting her for dinner had been a mistake, but it was a mistake he had made before: whenever she was in town, Yeon Hwa made it a point to call him and meet him for dinner, showing him that her life was perfectly fine without him and that she was over him already. Knowing he had strung her along far longer than he should have, Yo always agreed that she was still gorgeous, and fun to be around… and he had always stopped short of actually cheating on Mun Seong – an important distinction in his mind.

Wang Yo indulged in his little fantasies of what could have been, and then Yeon Hwa would leave and things would be fine once more… but this time it was different.

…000…

 ** _Two Weeks Before._**

"I thought you should be the first one to know that I'll be staying for good this time," Yeon Hwa had said.

"Really?"

"I think it's finally time I take a more active role in the family's company. Wook is a bit stuck, and busy taking care of his sickly wife. I mean to take over for him soon."

"Does he know that?"

"Not yet, but he will," Yeon Hwa smiled, the dimple on her chin dancing. "I think he has done as much as he can for the Hwanbo Holdings. Now it's my turn."

"I see."

"If you ever get bored with that Kang-girl your mother picked, let me know… maybe we can work out some sort of… _alliance."_

…000…

 _ **Present Day.**_

Wang Eun walked nervously into the dojang. He had waited until the exhibition was over, because it always made him nervous whenever he saw Soon Deok sparring – she was solidly built, but her frame wasn't particularly big and he hated seeing her face off against her opponents, even if she had things under control.

In his hand, he clutched a bouquet with red and orange gerbera-daisies, yellow and pink daffodils and irises. It was a bit larger than he had intended, but he had gotten excited at the flower shop.

A few people still mingled about, but most of the guests had moved toward the garden and the foods and games set up there; Soon Deok, however, was still inside, supervising as some of the other students put way the mats and equipment.

"Eun-ah! I thought you weren't coming!" Soon Deok said, surprised at seeing her friend now that the event was almost over.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to see you, but I'm sure you were brilliant," He held out the bouquet. "These are for you."

"Yah! I didn't even do much! You should be congratulating Jung, he moved up a rank!"

"I don't think Jung would like it if I gave him flowers," Eun said with a grin.

"Probably not," Soon Deok agreed, taking the flowers and smelling them. Flowers always brought up happy memories of her Umma's garden from when she was very little, something Eun knew fully well.

"Do you need a ride home? I can hang around for a bit while you finish up."

"You know, I think I'll take you up for it. Appa is making Jung clean the dojang anyway, since he was half an hour late and then wasted even more time trying to flirt with Soo-unnie while So-oppa watched."

"Jung does seem to have a death wish." Eun laughed.

Eun had met Soo and Seol a couple of days ago, when So had brought them over to HB Toys in order to obtain some toys for Seol. While Eun had been busy blowing his new-found-niece's mind with cool toys, he had also taken time to observe his cousin with the pretty Hae Soo. It was clear that So-Hyung had it bad for his baby's umma.

Soon Deok nodded in agreement before adding: "I'll go tell Appa that I'm leaving and then we'll be off."

Eun nodded. "Do you want to stop for food along the way?"

Soon Deok grinned and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "Sometimes I think you can read my mind."

If only she could read his.

-00-

Elsewhere, Wang So couldn't help grinning as Soo and Seol explored his new house. After the exhibition and Jung's trial, So had brought his girls home and let them loose. He had showed them the bedroom that would be Seol's for when she stayed over, and shown them the garden, where he had installed a playhouse and a brand-new slide and swing set.

"You are spoiling her," Soo said, standing next to him as they watched Seol (and her toy-wolf) go down the slide over and over.

"Well, she is mine to spoil," So answered with a smile… but something about the tone in which he said it didn't sit well with Hae Soo.

Before she could pinpoint why, Seol called out "Umma! Appa! Look!" She giggled, waving her hands to catch their attention before she went down the slide again.

"I'm looking, princess!" So called out as he walked toward her.

Soo sighed, deciding not to ruin such a happy, sunny day with gloomy thoughts. She was with those she loved the most, after all.

.

Later that afternoon, Seol napped snuggled against So, who kept stroking her hair and smiling at the sleepy, contented sounds she made, while Soo drank some wine and read the brochure he had given her.

"I don't know So, I hadn't thought of this school at all."

"I know you hadn't considered, but I went here, and my brothers did as well. Mu's children go there now."

"It's kind of out of the way, though."

"I'll drive her in the mornings, and the school transport can drop her off at the National Theater or my office afterward."

Soo sighed, "It's expensive. And hard to get into."

"I talked to the headmistress and she said they will take Seol any time, since she's a legacy student." So answered, ignoring the money question.

"She's not even five! It's nursery school!"

"Just think about it, okay? This school has a great reputation, and she can move on to the elementary school when the time comes, without having to switch schools later on…"

Soo sighed knowing how stubborn Wang So was when he wanted something, and he currently wanted to send their daughter to a school that cost more per month than her rent.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **From next chapter:**  
 _So shouldered her backpack - he looked a little ridiculous with the sparkly pink backpack with a swirly unicorn horn attached, but he didn't seem to mind._


	10. Ten: Meetings

**Hello everyone! Here we come with another little chapter! thanks so much to everyone for being patient and to Sandy for being so helpful and kind with the edits :)**

* * *

 **Chapter TEN**

 _ **Present Day**_

"Are you sure there's no one else available?" Woo Hee asked, leaning over the counter as Soo prepared tea for them, one day following her rehearsal.

"I thought Baek Ah was working out okay? I heard him play the other day, he's good! And he said he can keep doing it indefinitely."

"He's all right," Woo Hee said with a shrug, unwilling to admit that their esteemed Artistic Director was even better as a musician. "But he flirts with everything that moves, and the younger girls become distracted! It's annoying!"

"Mmm," Soo answered, noncommittal. That was not what she had heard from the other dancers. As rumor had it, Baek Ah only flirted with one particular dancer and the rest just giggled at Woo Hee's pretend obviousness. "I can talk to the other girls if you want, remind them not to flirt on company time or whatever."

"I don't think that'll help, but thanks," Woo Hee grumbled. "Just promise me you'll keep looking, okay?"

"Of course, I'm waiting to hear back from a couple of music schools that promised to check among their students."

"Thank you."

"It would help if you told me what the problem truly was with Baek Ah," Soo said innocently, sipping her tea like it didn't matter to her either way if Woo Hee talked or not.

"He stares at me too much," Woo Hee said, knowing it sounded childish.

"Not to state the obvious, but you are a performer."

"It's different when I'm dancing, then I don't mind so much. But… he does it all the time, he looks at me like he knows something I don't! And he's always late for rehearsal!"

"I will definitely tell him to arrive on time, and I'll keep looking." Soo promised while suppressing a laugh.

.

Though music had always been his first passion, Baek Ah had also been fascinated by the way music could be interpreted by using one's body to create shapes and steps that told a story. He had studied various dance styles as a child and teenager, and while he knew he wasn't talented enough to be an actual professional dancer, he was really good at giving instruction on what to do.

That was how he wound up working as a choreographer for the National Dance company – mostly for their contemporary branch – and later became their artistic director, where he had more of a say on which pieces they produced and how to arrange their music, which truly merged all his passions.

Still, it didn't take him long to realize that his credentials meant very little to Kim Woo Hee. It seemed like just the sight of him annoyed her, but by God he loved watching her move. She had both fluidity and determination, and it was just beautiful to see.

Lately, he had taken to sketching her, coming up with half-baked ideas for costumes, thinking how the fabrics would move… a harmless enough hobby as far as he was concerned.

"Uncle! UNCLE!"

Seol's voice snapped him out of his reverie. The little frown on her face – which was eerily identical to her father's – indicated that she had probably been trying to catch his attention for a while now.

"I'm sorry, Princess," Baek Ah said with a smile. "What is it?"

"You have to pay attention!" She admonished, tapping the clipboard he had given her the first time he had brought her to watch rehearsals with him. Seol would sit next to him and put on a serious expression as she watched, all the while doodling nonsensical things on her clipboard, demanding more paper every so often.

Looking up, Baek Ah saw that his dancers had all gathered and were awaiting instructions.

With a decisive snap, Baek Ah closed his sketchbook. He was determined not to think about Woo Hee anymore… or for the next hour at least.

-00-

Before meeting her father, Seol hadn't really thought much about it. Her whole life was her Umma, her Halmeoni and the big house near the beach where they lived. Then, one day her Umma had told her they were going somewhere new, and they had ridden the train for a long time… and suddenly they were in a big new place.

She still saw her Halmeoni almost every day, but now there were more people there too.

First her Appa, who always carried her around, watched TV with her, who had sat with her and taught her how to write her new name– _Wang_ Seol. He would take her to the park and play with her and make her Umma smile.

Then there was Uncle Baek Ah, who played with her when her Umma was busy at work. And her uncle Eun, who always gave her candy and new toys that he built himself. And her Uncle Jung. And Soon Deok-ssi…

Seol's world had gotten a lot bigger now that she lived in this new place. Though she sometimes missed the beach, she wouldn't trade it for the world.

"All right, Princess, which one do you want?" Her Appa asked, holding up two pink backpacks. One was sparkly and had a unicorn horn, and the other had butterflies and flowers stamped all over. They were shopping for school stuff.

Seol pouted and pondered the question. "I like both?" She said.

"All right," So said, tossing them into the cart. "Just don't tell your Umma."

Seol giggled and nodded. She had also learned in a very short time that, while she usually had to plead with her mother when she wanted something at the store, she could just point and her Appa said yes. Even if her Umma later scolded them both for it.

"Don't tell me what?" Soo asked, coming from around another aisle, frowning as she read the school supply list that had been forwarded to her. The amount of stuff was ridiculous, even if she wasn't the one footing the bill.

"Nothing," So answered too quickly for him to be entirely innocent.

"This list is ridiculous," Soo said, deciding to let it go. "Seol doesn't need seventy two colored pencils for art class! She can't even keep track of twelve!"

"But they are pretty, Umma!" Seol said, pointing to the cart where So had already placed two boxes of the pretty pencils.

"She definitely doesn't need two sets of them!"

"You said she keeps losing them!"

"I meant that she needs to be a little more careful, not that you need to buy her more!"

"But this way, she can keep one box at my place and one box at your place, unless you want to move in with me, then…"

"Get the two boxes then!" Soo huffed and stalked off. So had been pushy lately about the whole moving in thing -like they hadn't only seen each other again after a five year separation! One second he agreed to take things slow, and the next… he bribed their child with expensive coloring utensils.

Seol looked from one to the other, before going to her father and tugging at his shirt so he would pick her up. "It's all right, Princess." So comforted her, pushing the cart with his free hand and following Soo into the next aisle, smiling after her. He would wear her down, of that he was sure.

.

The following Monday, Soo dressed Seol in her new school uniform, consisting on a drop-waist, pleated green dress, paired with a yellow collared shirt underneath, a green and navy bow, and a navy cardigan. It looked adorable, Soo had to admit. And at least she wouldn't have to agonize over how she was going to dress Seol each morning, even if she thought it was a little weird that kids that small wore uniforms. She guessed that was the way with private schools; Soo herself hadn't worn a uniform until middle school.

Seol stood still as her mother braided a band around her head, before pulling the rest of her hair up in a ponytail and finishing it off with some flower hairpins So given Seol when he found out she liked wearing her mother's hairpin.

"There!" Soo said, giving the ponytail a last tug as the doorbell rang. "And just in time, that must be So. Go get your things while I open the door, okay?"

Seol nodded and ran off into her bedroom.

Once she opened the door, Wang So stepped in and right into her personal space, pulling her in for a quick kiss.

"Good morning to you too," Soo said when they came up for air.

"Are you girls ready?" So asked, wrapping his arms around her and keeping her close.

"Seol is just getting her things," Soo said, allowing herself to enjoy his hug until Seol came back. So shouldered her backpack - he looked a little ridiculous with the sparkly pink backpack with a swirly unicorn horn attached, but he didn't seem to mind.

So took about a million pictures of Seol in her uniform outside the school, and fussed over her. He knew he was going a bit overboard, but this was the first "First" of Seol's life that he was around for, and he was going to make it an event.

Seol was loving it of course, smiling for the million pictures her father wanted to take before running inside with the rest of the kids. By that afternoon, a selfie So had taken of the three of them in front of Seol's new school was framed and displayed proudly on So's desk at work.

…00…

Kang Mun Seong stood inside Wang Yo's office, waiting for him. He had asked her to come, as they had to match up their social calendars as they did at the beginning of each month, but when she had arrived – almost an hour ago – his secretary had informed her that Mr. Wang was in a very important meeting.

Mun Seong had the feeling that the woman didn't like her very much.

In any case, she was shown to his office and told to wait. She sat in the chair and played with her phone a bit, resisting the urge to move about or touch anything. She knew he hated when she moved things from the place he had put them and would complain loudly if she so much as moved a pen out of place. Yo liked things his way.

There were almost no traces of her in this office. Yo always hired a professional to decorate whenever he got promoted and got a new office, except for the massive framed photograph of the Changdeokgung Palace's gardens that dominated the wall behind his desk. It was Mun Seong who had taken that picture…

-o-

 _ **5 and a half years before.**_

This was supposed to be a happy day for Kang Mun Seong. She had been one of ten students selected for the End of Term Exhibit and now five of her photographs were on display at the University Gallery and she had won an internship at a large publishing company.

But her parents had refused to go to the opening night, as even now that she was finishing her degree, they still didn't accept that she hadn't studied something more 'worthwhile' or worked harder at improving herself for her future husband. Mun Gong had promised to come but cancelled last minute.

And now she had to go out there and explain how her photographs were connected and what her vision was, and for the life of her she couldn't remember the words she had carefully planned for the last week.

This was going to be a disaster…

Wang Yo didn't know why his mother had insisted that he come to this function today. He had left the invitation to the University Gallery with his secretary and told her it was imperative that he went.

If anything, at least it gave him an excuse to blow off Yeon Hwa, who was getting clingier, probably sensing that Yo was about to break up with her for good.

Yo wandered around the large space, snatching a glass of wine from a passing waiter. His eye caught on one of the photographs of one of Seoul's Five Palaces – he never got them right – featuring a garden. And for some reason, he wanted it.

It wasn't until he had bought the original photograph – after bullying the exhibit coordinator – that he realized why his mother had insisted he come. When the artists were introduced, a familiar name rang out.

Yo looked at his little fiancée standing under the bright lights of the gallery in a flowing black dress that ended just above her knees. Her long black hair was brushed to the side, letting the diamonds on her ears sparkle. If memory served him right, she was 22 or so and while she lacked the refinement Hwangbo Yeon Hwa had had even at that age, she was pretty in an understated sort of way.

Yo listened to her halting speech about her inspiration for her pictures before she handed off the mic to someone else. At which point Yo lost interest and decided to talk to her for once.

Yo would forever remember the shy smile she offered him when he introduced himself. She could hold an intelligent conversation and didn't feel the need to talk about herself every other sentence – which was refreshing, actually, as Yean Hwa was more on the self-absorbed end of the spectrum.

They had spent the rest of the evening together and gone on their first official date the very next day.

0

 _ **Present Day.**_

Having completely forgotten his appointment with Mun Seong, Yo walked into his office to find her staring at the photograph behind his desk. Her expression was pensive and a little melancholy.

There had been a distance between them lately, and he knew it was he who put it there, but for some reason he couldn't seem to make up his mind. Yeon Hwa's proposition could be very beneficial to him and he knew it. Plus, he had always enjoyed Yeon Hwa's company – both in bed and out of it – and marrying her would be very advantageous. But if he married his old flame, what would happen to Mun Seong?

The broken engagement would be laid squarely at her door, which would make her the object of rumor and scorn. People would wonder why they never married, and she would be seen as damaged goods among Seoul's elite. Not to mention what her conservative father would do.

With so much history between them, Yo didn't feel quite right throwing her away, advantageous as it might be.

When his father had had his heart attack five years ago, it had been Mun Seong who kept him sane. She would show up at the hospital with food, rub his head when it ached, let him sleep against her while they waited for news.

Hell, the first time they had made love was when she drove him home after they had told them his father was out of danger. One thing had led to another and before he knew it their clothes were scattered all over his bedroom and they were rolling around on his bed.

And five years later, here they were.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Yo said, startling Mun Seong a little.

"It's okay."

"Are you hungry? We can check our calendars over lunch."

"Sure," Mun Seong smiled.

As they walked out, they encountered a small person wandering around the C-suite. The little girl wearing the uniform from his old elementary school had dark hair and So's chin and ears.

"You're Seol, right?" Yo asked.

"Yes," She said suspiciously, looking up at him. "Who are you?"

"I'm your uncle Yo." He said with a friendly smile, crouching down so Seol didn't have to look up so much. "And this is your Aunt Mun Seong," he added, nodding toward his fiancée.

"Hi!" Seol answered and even did a small bow. Halmeoni Oh had always been very strict about manners after all.

"Seol-ie!" So's worried voice cut in. "What are you doing out here?"

"Appa!" Seol said happily, going to her father. "I'm hungry, Appa!"

"I know, princess, but that doesn't mean its okay to just wander off."

"I'm sorry, Appa." Seol hung her head in shame. She had had this conversation with her mother often enough to know that wandering off was not okay. She just couldn't help herself sometimes.

"Just don't do it again," So said, stroking her hair and waiting until Seol nodded before changing the subject. "And I just need to finish some calls and we'll go out to eat, okay?"

"If you're still tied up," Yo found himself offering, "Mun Seong and I were about to go to lunch. We can take her with us."

"Hyung… I don't want to impose on the two of you."

"It's no imposition, So-ssi," Mun Seong answered. "We'll be happy to."

"You can catch up when you're done. We won't go far."

Out of the corner of his eye, So could see his secretary waving frantically at him, and he could also hear Seol's tummy rumble. He closed his eyes for a second before making up his mind. "Then I would be very grateful." So leaned down to kiss the top of Seol's head. "Stay close to your uncle, okay? No wandering off!"

"Yes, Appa!"

So accepted the kiss Seol planted on his cheek before gently pushing her toward the pair. "I won't take long."

"Take your time," Yo said, putting a hand on Seol's shoulder. "I'll text you the address of the restaurant."

So nodded and went back to his secretary before the poor man sprained something from waving so frantically at him.

Yo watched So walk away, half surprised that he had actually agreed to leave his daughter with him. Then Seol tugged at his shirt and when he looked down, she lifted her arms and said "Up!" indicating she wanted to be carried.

Yo complied. "So, what would you like to eat?" he asked as the three of them walked toward the elevator bank.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **From next chapter:**

 _ **It took some fast talking and maybe all of his skills as a negotiator, but Park So Kyung eventually managed to smooth Madame Oh's ruffled feathers. Enough to get her to come into the house and have some tea.**_  
 _ **"Look, I understand you are a bit upset." He said, accidentally slamming the tea pot on the stove and making himself wince. "But It's up to her parents to decide what she's going to learn or not. Aside from my own daughter, So-yah is the most talented one I've trained. If he wants to bring his kid, I'm not going to stop him."**_


	11. Eleven: Past and Present Children

**Hello! and sorry for the late update! I'm already working in the next chapter, but please be warned that updates might be a bit erratic for a while, specially since I'm prepping for a new semester in a few weeks, so it's planning time. LOL**

 **I will try to have the chapter ready though! :)**

 **Thanks for your patience and never ending awesomeness, and to Sandy for being the sweetest, best-est editor ever :)**

* * *

 **Chapter ELEVEN - Past and Present Children**

 _Present Day_

Wang Yo was feeling extremely wronged by the universe as he sat there in his seven thousand-dollar suit, trying not to cringe at the sticky table where Mun Seong had told him to wait while she and Seol got what passed for food at this place. He really needed to talk to So about his daughter's nutritional choices…

At first, he hadn't been alarmed when his niece said she wanted a hamburger. He had gotten on his phone to look up good places nearby, but when they had gotten to the restaurant he selected, Seol said she wanted "A Real Burger!" and insisted they come to this fast food _place._

"Here we are," Mun Seong said, happily plopping down a tray loaded with food in front of him before helping Seol into her seat and passing her kid-meal. "God, I love this stuff." She added, reaching for a fry.

"You do?" Yo asked in surprise, growing aghast when she nodded. "I don't think I've been to a fast food place since the first time Jung and his friends got drunk and he called me to pick him up at a Lotteria near Itaewon."

Mun Seong shrugged. "I used to come here all the time when I was in high school with the track and field team after every competition – I've never seen anyone put away as much food as Park Soon Deok." She laughed. "And I come whenever I'm working, and need a quick bite."

"I can't imagine being in that much of a rush."

"Yah, not everyone can afford expensive three hour lunches each time they actually step out of the office." She rolled her eyes.

"Are you mocking me, Kang Mun Seong? Because I feel mocked."

"Just a little. Now, stop being such a snob and eat a fry." She held it out for him and he decided to humor her. "See? It's good."

"I won't die I suppose."

"You have to put ketchup on it, uncle!" Seol piped up.

"No. Ketchup is just sugary toma-"He didn't get to finish as Mun Seong pushed another fry into his mouth, making Seol giggle.

"Yah! I can feed myself."

"Eat while it's still warm, then." Mun Seong admonished.

Grumbling, Yo started to eat his bulgogi burger while listening to Seol chatter about her new school, and her halmeoni and the dojang her father was going to start taking her to so she could learn martial arts like her Appa and Uncle Jung.

Yo could only stomach about half his food, but he was rather entertained watching his fiancée and his niece interact. He had never really thought of it before, but suddenly he realized that one day he might be having kids with Mun Seong, and wasn't that a thought?

"You seem to be in a good mood," Yo commented as they gathered their things to go back.

"I like spending time with you; especially at a place like this where I don't feel like I'm being watched, you know?"

He did, but he couldn't help adding: "You must know I was going to take you to a nice restaurant."

"This is nice," Mun Seong said simply.

"Still, let's go on a real date. Tonight." Yo said impulsively.

..00..

"I'm glad you could make it." Hae Myung Hee said as she and Hae Soo walked through The Galleria Mall where Myung Hee liked to shop. "I thought we would see each other more now that you moved back, but you are always so busy."

"Just as things settle," Hae Soo said. "I'm in the process of hiring a second assistant for Madame Oh, and that should free up some time." Or like today, when So offered to take Seol for the afternoon so she could see her unnie, she only had to pick her up from his office later.

"I'm glad. I can't wait to have you and Seol over at the house!"

Soo nodded and smiled. As much as she loved Myung Hee, she was not thrilled at the prospect of seeing Hwangbo Wook, even all these years later.

"Actually," Myung Hee went on. "We are having a small party to celebrate my sister in law's birthday. I was hoping you could come."

"Unnie," Soo whined, "You know Yeon Hwa doesn't like me!"

"Don't be silly, of course she likes you," Myung Hee said but wouldn't look at Soo while she did.

Soo frowned. She had only met Yeon Hwa a handful of times during Myung Hee and Wook's brief courtship, and of course at their wedding ceremony. The older woman had seemed to hate her guts on sight, always making snide remarks about Soo's appearance and behavior, not to mention the comments that she was "mooching off" Myung Hee – like she and her brother weren't doing the same.

It had been Myung Hee's fortune, name and connections that had pulled the Hwangbo Holdings from the edge of bankruptcy. Not that either of the Hwangbo Siblings would admit it.

"Oh, you need to try this dress on!" Myung Hee distracted her by showing her a pretty black dress. "If you like it, I'll get it for you and you can wear it to the party."

Soo grumbled, but she could never say no to her Unnie.

-000-

After calling a driver to take Soo and Seol home, So wandered back to his office, where he still had a pile of paperwork to sign – for the second time, since Seol had accidentally spilled her juice box over it – but when he noticed the door of Yo's office was open, he decided to talk to his older brother.

Wang Yo was sitting behind his massive desk in his shirtsleeves, sporting a vaguely harried looking expression on his face. Much like when So and Jung used to distract him as a child, and then he had to hurry to finish his school work.

So knocked on the door frame, waiting until Yo looked up. "Hey, I just wanted to thank you for taking Seol with you this afternoon. I hope Mun Seong-ssi wasn't annoyed."

"She was in a good mood, actually; and they got along well." You answered, his eyes straying back to the documents in front of him before adding. "I'm surprised you left her with me, to be honest."

So blinked. "Why wouldn't I? You would never harm a child. I knew she was safe with you."

Yo's eyes snapped up, surprise written all over his face. It was a bit awkward and So looked around his elder brother's office, realizing he had never actually been here since they had made it to the C-suite. Suddenly, his eyes latched onto something behind his brother: a tin-soldier set resting under a glass-dome.

"Is that the same set from where we were kids? The one you never let me play with?"

Yo looked behind him at the orderly rows of tin soldiers in battle formation. "I let you play with it. Sometimes. And yes."

"I used to love the little guy with the flag," So commented.

Yo smiled briefly, before his expression turned serious. "Yeah, you did."

-0-

 _ **Twenty-seven years before**_

Wang Yo was quietly practicing his penmanship when the sound of shattering glass caused him to botch the character on his page. He closed his eyes and hoped it was just an accident, some clumsy maid his mother would fire or something… anything other than his mother in one of her rages.

But when the sound of more glass followed, Yo knew it would be one of those nights. Lately his parents had been fighting a lot, and for some reason his mother always took it out on So – probably because their father dotted on him (as much as he dotted on anyone other than Mu).

Sure enough, when more screaming followed, the door of his bedroom opened slightly. "Hyung?" So's small voice asked, from the crack on the door.

Yo sighed. "Come in quick."

So stepped in, pausing to close the door behind him without making noise. Noise was a bad thing when their mother was in one of her moods. After their parents' last fight, their mother had grabbed So by the arm and dragged him up the stairs, squeezing hard enough to leave bruises until their father had managed to pry him away and sent him off to bed. So hadn't been able to properly move his arm for three days afterward.

Not that anyone said anything but, by the way So kept rubbing his arm, he remembered. "Eomeoni is angry, hyung."

"Don't worry about it," Yo said. "Help me organize the soldiers," he added, bringing out a lacquered box of toy soldiers his Father had brought him from England on his last business trip. Because he was so young still, So had gotten a set of carved and painted wooden animals from Germany, which weren't nearly as cool in Yo's opinion. It was a baby's toy. Instead, So was fascinated with the soldiers and often begged to play with them.

He knew his little brother would keep quiet and entertain himself for a while, placing the little soldiers in rows upon rows.

So got to work, and Yo brought his notebook, pens and ink down to the carpet to keep him company. Every so often, Yo would get up and crack the door open to hear if their mother was near.

"Hyung? Why doesn't this one have any weapons?" So held up one of the soldiers, which was holding an elaborately painted flag.

"Ah, because he's the flag bearer! His job is to march into battle holding the flag, to keep up the soldiers' morale."

"But isn't that more dangerous?"

"It is, that's why it's an important job. If the flag falls, then hope is lost."

So nodded solemnly, gently setting the soldier down. "He must be very brave then." Yo nodded absently, only looking up when So whispered, "I can be brave too."

-00-

 ** _Present_** ** _Day_**

Oh Soo Yeon checked the address to make sure she was at the right place: The Park Dojang. She walked in without leaning too much on her cane, looking for _that_ man. It was all his fault. She was sure.

For as long as anyone could remember, Seol had wanted to be a ballerina like her halmeoni, and before moving back to Seoul, Oh Soo Yeon had started teaching her some positions and easy steps. Her granddaughter had talent! She had been looking forward to taking little Seol to her dance lessons, getting her on the right path.

But now, after one single visit to this place, all Seol talked about was martial arts and how her father was going to start bringing her to the dojang.

This would not do at all!

"Can I help you?" A man asked, startling her, making her whirl around fast and causing her cane to slip a bit...which prompted the man to reach out and steady her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Oh Soo Yeon straightened and stepped back, primly asking: "I'm looking for Park So Kyung."

It took some fast talking and maybe all of his skills as a negotiator, but Park So Kyung eventually managed to smooth Madame Oh's ruffled feathers. Enough to get her to come into the house and have some tea.

"Look, I understand you are a bit upset," He said, accidentally slamming the tea pot on the stove and making himself wince. "But it's up to her parents to decide what she's going to learn or not. Aside from my own daughter, So-yah is the most talented one I've trained. If he wants to bring his kid, I'm not going to stop him."

Madame Oh watched through narrowed eyes as the bumbling man tried to make tea. "Do you even know what you're doing?" She asked after watching him drop some leaves into a mug.

"I admit tea isn't one of my specialties."

"Do you have a proper tea-pot?"

"I think my mother had one somewhere," He said, digging through a cupboard until he came out with a yellow pot and matching cups.

"Move over, I'll make the tea."

That's when Park So Kyung found himself sitting down, watching Oh Soo Yeon's delicate movements as she warmed the cups and prepared the tea, all fancy like; and wondering why she seemed strangely familiar, this woman who came to yell at him out of the blue.

-00-

Wang So was a bit surprised when, as he returned home, he saw that all the lights in the first floor were on; and when he opened the front door he was immediately jumped… by a giggling four-year old girl.

"Appa!" Seol happily giggled. "Appa! Did I surprise you?"

"Very much, princess." He said, lifting his daughter up before asking: "Where is your mother?"

"In the kitchen!" Soo's voice called out, and So followed it, surprised to find her stirring something on the stovetop. "Hi! I hope we're not intruding, but Seol wanted to have dinner with you and I figured we could do it here since you would probably be tired from work – she told me how she spilled her juice on your papers, I'm sorry!"

"Don't be, it was fine," So said.

"I-I used the key code you gave me, I hope it was okay?"

"Of course, that's why I gave you the combination," So said, wrapping his free arm around Soo and giving her a squeeze, nuzzling her hair.

"If you have plans we can-"

"Yes, I have plans: to have dinner with my beautiful girls." He cut her off, kissing her cheek before stepping back. "I'll go change and come down to help you, okay?"

"Sure."

Since Seol wouldn't let go of him, he decided to take her with him upstairs.

"Appa, can I tell you a secret?" Seol asked in a dramatic whisper.

"Of course."

"It was Umma's idea but she told me to tell you it was mine."

-0-

Elsewhere in Seoul, Wang Yo sped toward Kang Mun Seong's apartment, all the while cursing himself for picking up the phone when Hwangbo Yeon Hwa had called earlier. He had actually managed to leave the office on time to go home and change to take Mun Seong out. But as he reached his car, his phone had rung and Yeon Hwa had requested he meet her at a nearby bar.

Against his better judgement, he had gone. Only to be handed an invitation to her birthday party.

" _Bring your little fiancée if you want," Yeon Hwa had laughed while she sipped her wine._

 _"_ _You know, you could have just messaged me this."_

 _"_ _But what's the fun in that?" She said, leaning in close and pressing her body against him. Once, he had known that body pretty darn well._

 _"_ _You're making me late for an appointment."_

 _"_ _Just say you'll come," She pouted. "You know I throw a good party, that I can give you a good time."_

He did know that, but it didn't help his current predicament.

"Mun Seong!" He called out as he opened the door, trying not to squash the bouquet of flowers he had had his secretary pick up for him and which had already started to wilt a bit.

"You're late," She accused. She was wearing his favorite dress of hers. "This was your idea, you know?"

"I'm sorry. I had some car troubles but it's all fixed now." He lied, offering her the flowers.

Mun Seong eyed him suspiciously. "Did you remember to push back the reservation?"

"Of course. Enough so that if you are merciful, I should be able to take a shower before we leave."

"Fine. I'll put these in some water."

"You are the best." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, not noticing how she stiffened in his rush.

Mun Seong went through the motions, getting a vase from underneath the sink and filling it with water, arranging the poor flowers as best she could, waiting until the sound of the water running indicated that Yo was in the shower.

She went back to her room, picking up Yo's discarded clothing and sorting them out, pushing his underclothes, socks and shirt into the laundry basket. She pulled his wallet out of his pants before folding them, and finally lifting his suit jacket, taking a whiff.

She had been right; it did smell like perfume. Something sweet and expensive. Nothing like the fresh fragrances she sometimes wore. Mun Seong told herself that it didn't have to mean anything. Maybe he had stood too close to someone while riding the elevator or something. But as she shook out the jacket, a thick envelope fell from the inner pocket.

Checking to make sure he was still in the bathroom, Mun Seong opened the envelope and took out its contents.

 _"_ _You are cordially invited to celebrate with Hwangbo Yeon Hwa…"_

* * *

Author's Note:

From next chapter:

 _With a last sigh, Soo smoothed her dress and put on her coat before making her way to Baek Ah's office, where So was waiting. She could hear Seol's giggles as soon as she rounded the /_

 _Wang So had Seol propped on his hip and was waltzing her around the hallway while Baek Ah hummed a waltz-y tune and tried to keep a straight face_


	12. Twelve: Life of the Party

**Hello everyone!**

 **I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for being patient.**

 **Thanks to Sandy for all her help.**

 **Also, this chapter is dedicated to ScarletBerry for coining the phase "negative shame" when it comes to Yeon Hwa. And for finishing her most excellent fic Epilogue: I Will Find You. \^0^/**

* * *

 **Chapter TWELVE: Life of the Party**

 ** _Present Day._**

Hae Soo smiled at her reflection, fluffing her newly shorn hair and checking her makeup for the last time. She had never enjoyed these society parties the few times Myung Hee had made her attend when Soo was still a teenager and living with her cousin. She already knew this party would be no different.

Thankfully, So had offered to escort her so at least she would have someone to talk to at the party, other than Myung Hee. With enough luck, she wouldn't even have to talk to Yeon Hwa or Wook beyond a passing greeting.

With a last sigh, Soo smoothed down her dress and put on her coat before making her way to Baek Ah's office where So was waiting. She could hear Seol's giggles as soon as she rounded the corner. Wang So had Seol propped on his hip and was waltzing her around the hallway while Baek Ah hummed a waltz-y tune and tried to keep a straight face.

At the sound of her heels approaching, So stopped.

"Umma! You look pretty!" Seol said, wiggling so her father would let her down.

"Thank you, baby," Soo said, stumbling a little when Seol launched into her. "Now, Appa and I have to leave okay? But Uncle Baek Ah is going to take you out to eat and then take you home. We won't be late."

"Yes, Umma."

"And you are going to be good and not wander off, right?"

"Yes, Appa," Seol nodded.

"I'll watch her like a hawk!" Baek Ah said while So lifted Seol to kiss her chubby cheeks repeatedly, making his daughter giggle.

"You better; she's my treasure," So gave Seol one last snuggle before passing her to Soo for a few kisses.

Once Seol and Baek Ah disappeared into Baek Ah's office, Wang So took a moment to admire how pretty Soo looked.

"Are you sure we have to go to this party?" He asked, drawing her close by the waist.

"Pretty sure," Soo replied, giving him a peck on the lips. "And we can't be late. Unnie hates that, and you want to make a good impression on my Unnie, don't you?"

So grumbled, but followed her while making small talk about her new haircut and what their days have been like.

-0-0-

Wang Yo was feeling more like an asshole than usual as he and Mun Seong arrived to the Four Seasons main ballroom for Yeon Hwa's party. He had ended up saying it was a work thing—since the Taejo Group did do a lot of business with Hwangbo Holdings, it wasn't even exactly a lie, technically—and asked Mun Seong to come. Mostly because he suspected she had already seen the invitation when he came out of the shower to find his discarded clothes neatly folded.

She had been a bit frosty during dinner, and he had just blurted it out. Mun Seong had agreed to accompany him, but when he dropped her off she didn't ask him to stay the night at her place as she usually did; and she kept claiming to be busy whenever he managed to get her on the phone during the following days.

Yo had half expected her to cancel on him—which, to be honest, he would have preferred—but instead, she was waiting for him when he arrived at her place. She was quiet during the drive, and even under her makeup, she looked a bit pale.

"We don't have to stay long," He said as he helped her to remove her coat.

She nodded, fidgeting and playing with her ring, like she didn't know what to do with her hands. "It's fine."

"We'll say hi to our hosts and then we'll find a quiet place to talk, okay? I haven't seen you all week," He added trying to tease her a bit, but it came a little reproachful.

"I've been busy."

"So you said."

"I don't get mad when you have to work and cancel our plans out of the blue."

"I'm not saying you do," Yo said, backpedaling. "I was just teasing you."

"I'm tired and it's not like I wanted to come tonight."

"You could have said so."

"You would have come anyway," she mumbled under her breath as some of his friends walked up to him, talking like she wasn't even there as they usually did. The men were all older and wanted to talk business with Yo while their girlfriends and wives were all friends with Yeon Hwa and had no interest in her.

Mun Seong tried to retreat into herself, finding distraction in the decorations, the light, trying to frame it all as if were a photograph she was taking, detaching herself in an effort to cope with her growing discomfort.

000

"I'm sorry! This will only take a minute. I know exactly where it is!" Park Soon Deok said as she unlocked her father's house, walking in with Wang Eun in tow.

"It's okay, we still have plenty of time."

"I can't go to see my team play without my lucky cap!" Seon Deok said happily as she located her Doosan Bears baseball cap amid a pile of coats and other hats her father always left lying around, piled on the living room couch. Ever since she had moved out, her father had just gotten messier. She would complain to him about it but her own small apartment was no better to be honest.

"Honey Bear! Is that you?"

"Yes, Appa!"

"Good! I need your help!" Park So Kyung said, stepping out of his room. "What do you think? How do I look?"

"Like you're going to the office?" Soon Deok answered, looking at the suit and tie her father was wearing. "Why are you going to the office at this hour?"

"I'm not going to the office," he despaired. "I just don't know what to wear… I have a date, sort of," He added sheepishly.

"A date?" In the twenty years since her umma had passed away, her appa had never dated anyone… that she knew of, at least. " _Oh_! A date!"

"Don't make too much of it, Honey Bear," Park So Kyung admonished, "She was just sitting there when Choi Do Ha called to reminded me, and I just asked. It's not a big deal."

Soon Deok peered into her father's room. "That's why you currently have the entirety of your closet tossed on your bed, right? 'Cause it's not a big deal?".

"Don't be cheeky, Park Soon Deok."

Soon Deok giggled. "All right, we need to soften this up," she motioned toward the conservative suit. "What do you think, Eun-ah?"

Wang Eun cleared his throat to cover up the fact that he had been staring at Soon Deok. "Um...maybe a darker shirt and no tie?"

"I think that might work! You're a genius!"

"What are the two of you doing here anyway," Park So Kyung asked, looking from one to the other.

"Eun has extra tickets to the Doosan game tonight. Since his friends flaked on him, he's taking me!" Soon Deok said cheerfully, coming up with a bottle-green shirt from under the pile on the bed. "But I left my lucky cap here, so we stopped on the way to the stadium to get it."

"Fickle friends, uh? That seems to happen a lot to you, doesn't it?" If you asked him, it was awfully suspicious how Wang Eun always happened to have tickets to see Soon Deok's favorite baseball team.

-00-

Hae Soo was having a surprisingly good time. Since she and So had arrived early, Soo had had a few moments to talk with Myung Hee before the guests started to arrive in earnest and she had to leave to play hostess. Her cousin was a little surprised over the fact that Soo had never mentioned that Wang So of the Taejo Group was Seol's father, but she took it all in without making a fuss.

Soo only grew tense when she had to greet the Hwangbo siblings. Yeon Hwa kept a sickly-sweet grin when Soo introduced So as her date, and Wook was overly serious and almost deferential to So (whom later mentioned they did a lot of business with Hwanbo Holdings). In short, So's presence assured that Wook and Yeon Hwa stayed away.

Instead, Soo got to dance with Wang So and eat yummy food—much as she hated to admit it, Yeon Hwa knew how to throw a great party, even if the price tag of this whole event would probably give Soo a conniption —and spend a lovely evening with So. He even introduced her to a few of the people that were attending, whom he knew from his business dealings.

So, all in all, it wasn't a bad night.

The same could not be said for Kang Mun Seong though. So had introduced Soo to both Mung Seong and his brother Wang Yo when they ran into each other. They had both been pleasant enough and seemed genuine when they asked after Seol. But then Yo had been drawn away by some other friends of his.

After that, whenever Soo happened to find them in the crowd, Mun Seong looked… off, until it finally clicked: she reminded her of Myung Hee right after she had married Wook.

Soo remembered their wedding and how Myung Hee had stayed quietly by the side while Wook networked and talked to his friends. Sure, Myung Hee had had an overall happier demeanor, but to Soo she had still looked very much alone in a way that made her profoundly sad for her cousin.

She felt that kind of sadness creeping over her whenever she looked at Kang Mun Seong.

-0-

Hwangbo Yeon Hwa had zero shame, it seemed, as she brazenly walked up to Yo —wearing a backless dress that, had it been in the hands of a lesser tailor, would have gotten her arrested for indecent exposure—and asked her to dance with her, for old time's sake.

Yo had agreed, of course, egged on by his friends whom proceeded to pair up and leave Mun Seong standing there. It was just too much, and Mun Seong found herself making her way off to the bathroom. She kept biting her lip to keep herself from crying, until she tasted blood.

She had only been locked inside a stall for a couple of minutes when the sound of fast approaching heels had her choking down her tears, trying to not make a sound.

"Miss Kang? Mun Seong-ssi?" A familiar voice asked, and it took her a moment to realize that it was Seol's mother, Hae Soo. "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay," She answered in a watery voice. "I just want to stay here for a moment, if that's okay. You don't have to wait."

"It's fine. When you're ready, I'll help you fix your makeup, okay?

"Ok."

Mun Seong sniffled and took some deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. She knew she could do it; she could hold perfectly still in order to take a picture. She did it all the time. She just needed to get herself under control now.

Since she didn't know how much she would have to wait, Soo sat down and slid off her heels for a moment. She was considering if it would be too much to call Baek Ah to check on Seol when she was interrupted by Yeon Hwa herself.

"Oh, you're here," She said, her voice sounding cold and biting though she kept smiling.

"It was a bit stuffy in the ballroom," Soo said with a smile though her guard was up.

"Oh relax, Hae Soo, you're too insignificant for me to bother with you tonight." Yeon Hwa was admiring herself in the mirror. "And I do think it's cute how your cousin insists on bringing you around even though you're not of our class. It'll do you good to mix with your betters, I guess."

Hae Soo rolled her eyes. Sure, she was the proverbial poor relation of the main Hae Family Branch, but as far as bloodlines went—if she were the type to care about such things—Soo's pedigree was just fine.

"And I should give you credit. You managed to snag Wang So even if everyone knows he has a rotten temper. And the thing with the accident… Still, he's filthy rich, and quite handsome. You did well, little Hae Soo, as much as it pains me to admit it. Can you imagine? Once I marry Yo, we'll be related through marriage twice over. Won't that be funny?"

"I would say it would be tragic if it weren't because it's impossible. He's engaged already."

"I'll get rid of that nobody soon enough," Yeon Hwa said, and Soo had to admire her confidence.

Not that she would say so. Instead, Soo opened her eyes wide, a picture of interest and innocence and said: "Are you about to monologue about your secret evil plans? Like a super-villain? Am I this lucky?"

Yeon Hwa sneered. "You're as childish and stupid as ever."

"And yet, my odds—and Kang Mun Seong's—of marrying into the Wang family are _much_ better than yours. Alas, such is life."

Yeon Hwa huffed and left, the angry clacking of her heels cheering Soo up. Until she remembered Mun Seong, who finally decided to come out of the stall.

"Thank you," she said, sniffling.

"Annoying Yeon Hwa is my favorite sport," Soo grinned. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, though."

"It's not like I don't know she's after Yo. She's always been." Mun Seong took a few deep breaths. "Besides, she will be gone soon. She usually is."

"Small blessings," Soo grinned, reaching for her purse. "Come on, let me fix that makeup so we can return to the party."

"Do we have to?"

"I'm afraid so, Miss Kang."

"Please, don't' be formal with me. I'll call you Soo, if that's okay with you."

"Of course."

Mun Seong held still will Soo worked her magic, her chit-chat about makeup easing her mind until Soo declared her work done and that they were ready to return to the party… at the worst possible time.

-0-

By the time Baek Ah got to So's house and helped Seol get ready for bed, he was both exhausted and giddy—and glad So and Soo weren't around to see that he had broken Seol's bedtime by keeping her out almost an extra hour!

But was it really his fault?

On the way out of the National Theater, they had seen Kim Woo Hee leaving as well, and managed to convince her to come with them for dinner. She had mostly ignored him at first, but after a little bit of coaxing she relaxed and eventually she began to talk to him more normally.

By the end of the night, Baek Ah had managed to get her phone number—which sure, he could have gotten from her personnel file, but he would leave that level of creepiness for the likes of Wang So—and a date to see a traditional instruments exposition at the museum.

Life was good.

-00-

Hae Soo was pensive as So took her home, reflecting on the night's events. She had walked back into the ballroom just as Yeon Hwa announced that she was joining her family's company and staying in Korea for good. Next to her, Mun Seong had stumbled and when Soo reached out to steady her, she had been trembling.

"Soo," She said quietly. "I'm not feeling so well, do you think you could help me get a cab?"

"So and I will give you a ride if you want. We were leaving, anyway." Soo offered, quickly reaching for her phone to text So to meet them in the hotel's foyer.

Thankfully, So had shown up almost immediately and whisked them away. Poor Mun Seong had been quiet and looked positively wilted as they took her home. Though she put on a brave face when it was time for her to leave the car, saying she was just tired and that she would go to bed immediately, and telling them not to worry.

Wang So sighed as he started the car again, taking his phone at the same time to dial his older brother.

"In case you haven't noticed, your fiancée is no longer at the party," So said into the phone. "I thought you should know that Soo and I just dropped her off at home since she wasn't feeling well." He listened for a moment, "Yeah, if I were her, I wouldn't be picking up your calls either."

So disconnected the call and sighed. "He's usually not that bad," He commented absentmindedly, reaching for Soo's hand and playing with her fingers as he drove, which brought a smile back to her face.

Once at his house, they tiptoed around Baek Ah whom they found asleep on the couch, with the TV still on, and made it to Seol's room. She stirred a little and blinked a couple of times when Soo kissed her forehead, but then rolled over and went back to sleep, clutching her toy wolf all the while.

"See, Baek Ah isn't so bad as a babysitter," So said as they closed Seol's door behind them.

"I never doubted it. You're the overprotective one."

"That's because there is nothing in this world that I love more than the two of you," So said, kissing her forehead and bringing her in for a hug.

To his surprise, Soo pressed closer, seeking comfort. Apparently, seeing how his brother treated his fiancée had shaken her. "You know," she said, "Seol doesn't really get up once she's asleep...she'll probably be out until morning."

"Baek Ah sleeps like a log," So answered, understanding and liking the direction of Soo's thoughts.

"Do you think It'll be okay if-"

"Yes," So said, already pulling her into his bedroom and letting the door close behind them.

Soo couldn't help giggling when So tossed her onto the bed. She hadn't even finished bouncing onto the mattress when So was on top of her, his hands easily finding the zipper of her dress even as he kissed her.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **I can't put a "From the next chapter" excerpt yet because it doesn't exist ... yet! but I'm woking on it. I can say that it's going to be entitled: "Like the Sun" (and that it relates to the Wang Bro's feels about their Soo and Mun Seong, and it's not all sunshine).**

 **hit me with guesses!**


	13. Thirteen: Like The Sun

**Hello! here is the chapter! I hope you enjoy it! thanks for putting up with my irregular schedule; and thanks to Sandy for all her patience and help.**

* * *

 **Chapter THIRTEEN :** **Like The Sun**

 **Six Years Before.**

It was entirely too amusing to watch Hae Soo sleep, Wang So thought. The way she scrunched up her nose, the little sounds she made and the smile that played on her lips showed how amused she was with her dreams. Plus, her skin was the smoothest, softest thing he had ever touched.

"Please tell me you're not watching me sleep," Soo mumbled, eyes still closed.

"What if I am?"

"That'll be my luck, I guess. I sleep with a guy and then I find out he's a creep."

"I'm not a creep. I'm romantic," So countered, moving over her now that she was awake and showering her face with kisses.

Soo sighed in contentment, parting her legs for him as he settled over her.

"A. Creep. You're just lucky that I think you're cute," Soo declared, letting him kiss her as both their hands wandered over each other's nakedness. Her little moans and gasps were turning him on like crazy.

It was So's turn to sigh as he slid back into her body, feeling complete and close to her in a way he had no words for.

Hae Soo surrounded him and overwhelmed his senses, and it was like the sun was moving over his skin and warming him from the inside at the same time, and nothing mattered but staying under that sunlight.

-0—0-

 **Present Day.**

Hae Soo woke up to find herself alone in an unfamiliar bed, and it took her a moment to remember she was in So's room. The framed photograph of herself and Seol on the night-table helped her realize where she was though she decided not to dwell on it. (To be honest, So's whole house was full of photographs of the two of them (So and Soo) in their younger days, and of Seol).

Soo stretched slowly, enjoying the ridiculous thread count of his sheets and listening to the sounds beyond the partially closed door (which mostly consisted of Seol's chipper voice and So's rumbly one).

After a moment, she got up, wrapped the sheet around herself and wandered towards the in-suite bathroom. She found a pile of clothes neatly folded on the counter which included her undergarments, and what looked like some sweatpants and a t-shirt from So along with a new toothbrush.

Feeling a little sticky—it was no wonder with the workout So put her through the previous night—she decided to step into the shower for a quick rinse. The hot water soothed her achy muscles. Once out, she put on her undies and decided to skip the bra, pulling on So's baggy t-shirt and tying the string of her sweatpants tight, rolling them at the waist a few times until her feet showed.

When she finally made it to the kitchen, she found a still-mostly-asleep Baek Ah trying to make coffee, Seol setting the table and So manning three different pans on the fire.

"Wow. How long have you been up?"

"Oh, about an hour," So said. "A certain little girl wanted a glass of water and then wanted to play outside, and then wanted to watch cartoons...and then we decided to make breakfast."

"I helped, Umma!" Seol chirped. "I woke up uncle Baek Ah!"

"And it was a lot of help, Princess," So agreed while Baek Ah glared.

"Okay, what can I help you with?"

"Sit and look pretty, I got this under control."

Soo smiled and let herself be pampered, taking the coffee cup Baek Ah offered and waited for So to finish cooking. Soo remembered so many lazy mornings spent with So at his old apartment. When it was just the two of them, they would goof around and she would cook for him. He would eat everything like it was the best food he had ever tasted.

It had been lovely six years ago, and now, with the addition of their daughter and with Baek Ah in tow, it was like a fantasy Soo hadn't known she had always had: sitting around the table with the people she loved, like a real family.

.

After breakfast was done, the dishes were cleared, and Baek Ah left. Soo gave Seol a bath while So took his own shower, deciding that if he asked her, she would spend the day with him... and maybe the night as well.

-0-

Wang Yo was going crazy.

He hadn't seen or heard from Mun Seong since Friday night when she had left the party in the midst of Yeon Hwa's untimely announcement. After So had called to let him know that he and his girlfriend had dropped Mun Seong home, Yo had immediately made his way toward her apartment. However, when he got there she wouldn't answer the door, and she had changed the combination so he couldn't get in—though he suspected that she wasn't home.

He sat outside her apartment door, trying to figure out who to call but then it hit him: he had no idea who her friends were. The few times Mun Seong had tried to introduce him to them early on in their relationship, he had cancelled on her number times and after a while she stopped trying.

The only person he knew Mun Seong was friends with was Park Soon Deok but that was too obvious. Not that he didn't give in and call her the next day when he still hadn't heard from Mun Seong. Soon Deok didn't know where Mun Seong was: "And I wouldn't tell you either, if I did," she had added.

On Sunday, he had even called So and asked him to ask his girlfriend. But those two hadn't been of any help either.

So now, on Monday, he had resorted to ask Won to go through his various sources to see if she had any work engagements. And that's how he wound up basically stalking her outside the offices of one of the magazines she often worked for.

He waited, and each passing minute drove him a little crazier. Which was probably why he was currently measuring time by how often certain ads showed up on the advertisement screen near the elevator bank. Starting his count each time a quote from a recent novel flashed on the screen (" He looked at her like she was the sun, in that he never looked at her except in frustration…"), and each time he read another line.

("He basked in her warmth, he complained when she was gone, but he never looked.")

Yo almost missed her, not recognizing the clothes she wore, nor the way she had styled her hair today in a low-ponytail. She usually wore her hair loose when she was with him...probably because he had told her once that he preferred it that way. It was strange, the way she held herself: the little space behind her ears making her look younger and more vulnerable somehow.

("On days she was muted, he complained.")

"Kang Mun Seong!" He called out, perhaps too loudly and then took a step back when she turned to him and glared. ("On days she was stronger, he hid from her.")

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"We need to talk."

Mun Seong looked at him for a moment, tilting her head to the side. Considering him as he were a subject she was about to photograph; as if she was looking at him for the first time. "I don't think we need to talk," she said finally. "I think you need to listen."

"Fine, then, I'm listening."

"I'm ending our engagement."

"Don't be silly, you can't do that."

"Why can't I?" She said calmly as panic began to settle over him. "I've been thinking about it a lot these last couple of days… I thought, what kind of person would I be if I stayed with you after what happened at that stupid party, about what kind of life would that be for me-"

"If this is about Yeon Hwa-"

"Of course it is."

"She's just a friend."

"How stupid do you think I am?" Mun Seong laughed bitterly. "Did you honestly think that I didn't know who she was all these years?"

"You never mentioned it."

"I hoped it would go away but that was foolish. But it doesn't change the end result: I can't do this anymore."

"Look, if you're angry-"

"I'm not angry," She said firmly. "I'm sad." That shut him up, and she went on. "I'm always sad, feeling like I'm lacking somehow. Always wondering if you're thinking of her or if you're blaming me because you can't be with her. And I've tried my best to be whatever you needed me to be, so I would mean something to you, but you don't want that… and perhaps I don't want it either. Maybe I convinced myself that I did in order to cope—I don't know anymore."

"Mun Seong–"

"I'll pack whatever things you left in my apartment and send them to the Wang Estate. And I'll tell my parents the engagement is broken. You can tell yours."

"Wait!" He grabbed her wrist as she turned to leave, but she just twisted away.

"Goodbye, Yo."

("He never looked at her until she was leaving, and in the beauty of the sunset he wondered how he'd never seen her before.")

-00-

Kang Mun Seong held it together as she made her way home. She would not cry in public and give Hwangbo Yeon Hwa the metaphorical satisfaction.

Once in her apartment, she began to slowly weed Yo out from her space: she gathered his clothes from her closet, his razor and aftershave from the bathroom cabinet, his extra pair of reading glasses from the night table and the book he read before bed; one of his laptops, a few files marked "CONFIDENTIAL" and the watch she had bought him when he turned thirty.

Lastly, she took off the engagement ring he had given her last winter when they had gone to Switzerland for a holiday. Proposing would have been pointless, but he had seen her admiring the ring as they passed a jewelry shop and gone back to buy it while she was distracted buying chocolates.

"Think of it as your engagement ring," He had said, sliding it into her finger to see if it fit.

She loved the bloody thing, and her hand felt alien without its familiar weight. But that was all over now, she thought as she put the lid on the box she had been using to collect his things. She took it down to the concierge desk and asked for it to be sent over to the Wang Estate.

Then she would put on a sad movie—the kind Yo didn't like to watch—and throw on some sweatpants—which she never wore around him—and would get herself well and truly drunk.

And when she woke up in the morning, the next phase of her life would begin: Her life without Wang Yo.

000

Other than Yo's occasional calls, it was a lovely weekend at Wang So's house. On Saturday, they took Seol to the zoo and spent the whole day out, returning home tired but happy. After putting their daughter to bed, Soo and So snuggled on his bed and fell asleep comfortably together… after having sex (because now that that aspect of their relationship was back on, he couldn't get enough).

On Sunday, they stayed in. Soo cooked them breakfast this time and then they played in the garden for hours until Seol said she was tired. Then they went back inside and piled onto the couch to watch cartoons.

It was such a perfect weekend, but the mood soured a bit when Soo said it was time she and Seol went home. So wasn't happy about it but drove his girls to Soo's apartment, complaining the whole time about how they should just move in with him, and that it was stupid they were living apart.

Soo held her tongue until they arrived to her apartment. So carried a sleepy Seol who clung to him like a baby koala and who also demanded that her father tuck her in.

"I love you, Appa." Seol mumbled sleepily.

"I love you more, Princess." He answered, rubbing her head until her breathing became slow and even.

Soo watched them and tried to control her growing temper. She loved this man, and nothing soothed her heart more than seeing how much he loved their daughter, but he was so pushy when he wanted something, to the point that he didn't see her boundaries.

She hated when he complained about their living arrangements in front of Seol, who was impressionable and still adjusting to the recent changes in her life. She did not want to fight him, but she wished he saw things from her perspective.

"I'll be going now," So said after a while, carefully tucking the sheets around Seol one last time.

"Sure," Soo answered, opting to be neutral and not let her temper get the best of her.

"Bring some clothes over tomorrow so you and Seol can stay, okay?"

"I'll think about it," Soo replied noncommittally as she walked him to the door.

"What's wrong? You sound angry."

"Please, don't mention our living arrangements in front of Seol. I don't want her to get confused or start complaining about coming here. Okay? I mean, it's already hard that she gets whatever she wants when we're with you."

"Yah, it's not that bad. She doesn't even ask that much."

"Maybe for you it's not a lot, but you do realize that we have a severe monetary imbalance between the two of us, right? I can't afford the things you can."

"You could marry me for my money," So winked.

"Wang So. We said we would take things slow," Soo said firmly. "At least where the two of us are concerned."

"May I remind you that we spent all night having sex last night? And the night before?"

Soo blushed and shrugged. "I enjoyed it too but…"

So stopped her with a kiss and a hug—which was comforting and Soo felt herself relaxing against him—but he wouldn't let it go. "Overnight bag, tomorrow," He kissed her one last time before leaving, determined to have the last word.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **All right, so the quote that I used ... i tried to find the original author, to give it proper attribution, but while I searched it always came back to a tumblr post. Sandy tried to find the origina, and we think it was this one:**  
 **post/151350538874/silentthevoice-petition-to-change-he-looked-at**

 **If anyone knows where it's really from, please let me know. Some said it might be from a Tolstoi book because he also has a "like the sun" quote, but I don't know.**

 **Anyway, from the next chapter:**

 _ **It was true that Wang Eun was her best friend and her rock, and that she had had a crush on him probably from the second he rescued her lunch box twenty-years ago, but she had always thought it was rather one-sided: Eun liked everyone and always tried to make people happy, and sure, Soon Deok knew she was special to him but just as a friend.**_  
 _ **Or so she had thought.**_


	14. Fourteen: Stop Pretending

**Hello everyone! I live still!**

 **LOL**

 **Sorry it took so long to update, I've been struggling a bit and with lots of work piling up - and I just remember I'm supposed to make a brownie for my friends' birthday tomorrow! LOL - anyway!**

 **Here is the chapter, I hope you enjoy it! And thank you for your patience. And Thanks to Sandy for all the awesome.**

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen: Stop Pretending**

 _ **Present Day**_

Soon Deok dragged herself to work on Monday morning, feeling like something very heavy was lodged in her stomach. Now this could just be the raging hangover she had or just plain old embarrassment over how she had behaved with Eun the previous night when he took her back home.

After her team had won, she had insisted on buying Eun a round of drinks at their favorite bar, and she might have overindulged a bit. The last thing she remembered clearly was that Eun had taken her home and propped her on the couch, while he roamed through her fridge and cupboards, trying to find some sobering medicine she assured him was there.

To keep her from falling asleep (he wanted her to at least take an aspirin), Eun kept chatting. Soon Deok felt his voice come in waves; it sounded a little funny as he reached up or bent down.

"Your birthday is coming soon," He said eventually.

"I know! Are you throwing me a big surprise party like last year?"

"If you want me to," Eun said. "But I thought we should go something together, just the two of us maybe? We could go on a little trip?"

"Remember when I tried to make you go camping before we started senior year?"

"Vividly," Eun mumbled. He had hated the whole experience but stuck it out for a whole night just for her, until eventually she took pity on him and agreed to rent a cabin for the rest of their stay at the camping grounds. "That's why this time I'm planning everything. We'll go somewhere nice."

"The camp was nice! And we even got to race your boats around the lake, remember?"

"I do." In fact, it was one of his favorite pictures he had of him and Soon Deok, taken when they were 17 or 18, in front of the lake, holding the toy boats he had built for them. All throughout their senior year of high school, he had had that picture as his computer's wallpaper. "I'm sorry to say this, but you have nothing in here to sober you up."

"It's fine, I'm not that drunk." Or so she thought as she scooted over to make room for him.

"Oh, really? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Two. And that's for concussions, not drunkenness!" She laughed and tried to playfully slap his arm as she usually did. But her usually coordinated-self had checked out and she wound up flailing on his lap.

One thing led to the next and she found herself grabbing Eun's cheeks and pressing her lips to his. It had started innocently enough, until… until…

She didn't remember. All she knew was that she had woken up on the couch, covered by a throw blanket and in the clothes she had worn to the stadium, with a large glass of water and two hangover pills on her coffee table. Eun must have gone out to get them after she passed out.

And now here she was, sticking her head out of the elevator to check that the hallway that separated her office from HB Toy's HQ was empty and deciding to make a dash for it. She was going to sit at her desk to work and try not to think about what might or might have not happened the previous night – namely that she had forcibly kissed her best friend.

But her plan would never come to be. As she walked into her office, she found some more hangover medicine and a water bottle on her desk accompanied with a note from Eun saying that if she was feeling better, they should meet up for lunch.

Eun waited nervously outside Soon Deok's office at lunch time, not sure if she was up for going out since she hadn't answered his note – usually, she would have sent him three different texts by now. But today she was curiously silent. He still wasn't sure what he was going to tell her. Kissing her had only been his dream since he was about twelve and had seen her wearing the cutest hanbok at a school festival. She had looked so adorable that day, and his feelings had changed from thinking she was the bestest of friends, to the bestest of friends he also wanted to kiss.

But his friendship with Park Soon Deok was not something he was willing to risk, which was why he hadn't made a move so far, but last night _she_ had made a move on him – and he had been more than a willing participant, to be honest – and now, it was a brand new world… or so he hoped.

"So… where do you want to eat?" He asked the moment she opened the door.

"Um, anything is fine. You pick," She said, shuffling uncomfortably and making his spirits drop to the floor.

"Oh. If you're busy...we don't have to go anywhere, I understand."

"No! It's not that. I-I'm just feeling very embarrassed." Soon Deok said, moving from the door and leaving it open, hoping he would follow her inside. She didn't want to have this conversation in the hallway.

"Because you got drunk and I had to basically carry you home."

"I wasn't that drunk, you exaggerate." She rolled her eyes. For a moment things were just as they always were, but then she got serious. "I basically assaulted you last night on my couch."

Eun laughed. "Maybe you were drunker than you thought if you think I felt assaulted last night."

"Don't mock me," Soon Deok said, refusing to look at him.

He decided it was high time to place all the cards on the table. Last night he had gotten a taste of the thing he had wanted the most in his life, and now he wanted to have it all the time. "I'm not mocking you. Drunk you is cute, and I've been wanting to kiss you for almost twenty years. Even if you fell asleep on me, it was the happiest I've ever been."

"I feel asleep on you? Did I snore? Drool?"

"A little, and no." Eun answered, coming closer.

"Oh, thank goodness." Soon Deok sighed, before her brain finally caught up to the 'been wanting to kiss you…' part. "Wait, what did you just say?"

Done talking, Wang Eun decided to be bold for once in his life, and much like she had done last night, Eun cupped her cheeks and brought his lips down to hers. And it was just as magical as he remembered, especially after Soon Deok got over the shock and started kissing him back.

.

Eventually, they made it out to their favorite noodle place. In a way, it felt a little odd to walk around holding hands and to sit close together... but on the other hand, it was great to be able to just reach out for a new kiss or lean against each other.

While they were eating, Eun suddenly sighed and chuckled.

"What is it?"

"I was thinking that at least now I can stop pretending I don't have Doosan Bears season tickets and making up friends that cancel plans as an excuse to take you."

"You have season tickets?! Do you know how many games we have missed?"

Eun laughed again at her indignation, already picturing the countless days she was going to drag him to the stadium and make him wait in line for snacks and get way too excited for her team.

It was going to be great.

0.0.0

Hae Soo's heart ached. She never imagined ever feeling so at odds with Wang So. Not when they were starting over and rebuilding their little family; but it had finally happened. The thing they had been ignoring since reconciling couldn't be ignored any longer.

Soo couldn't even remember how the argument started, something about So being annoyed that Soo didn't want to spend that Monday at his place (namely, that when he had shown up to pick her up after work, there had been no overnight bag like he had ordered her to have Sunday night). He had also been annoyed that Seol was spending the night with her halmeoni Oh instead of with them.

Then something about how he had bought Seol a tablet because "everyone else in her class has one!" without consulting Soo (who thought Seol was entirely too young to own something that expensive!).

"Don't say that I spoil her," he had said when he noticed Soo's expression.

"You do!"

"I'm just making up for lost time."

"I get that, but you can't use that as an excuse when you make unilateral decisions about OUR daughter."

"Well, it's never not going to be true that I missed the first years of her life."

"And that was MY fault?"

"If you had just stayed put at the apartment like you were supposed to, it wouldn't have happened."

"If your father wasn't such a psycho mail stealer, it wouldn't have been a problem."

There had been no answer to that and when they reached her apartment she had simply gotten out of the car and bitten her lip, trying not to cry, as he sped away.

No one would have called Wang Jung an observant person. He had sailed through life with a happy disposition and the belief that everyone would adore him, just because his parents did. As an adult, he had understood that his charmed existence came at a cost, mostly for his older brothers who shouldered the brunt of their parents' expectations. They had shielded him from the harsher realities of their twisted family dynamics and went along in spoiling him.

But now that Yo was always working and had little time to spare for him, and So was devoted to his newfound daughter (and her cute mother), Jung was left alone to his own devices a lot more. There was no one to distract him from the angry, hissed 'conversations' his parents had.

Jung quickly got sick of his mother wanting to plot with him (as she usually did with Yo) so he had taken to hiding out in his room, wondering if this was how So felt whenever he was allowed to visit the house as a teenager, and how Yo kept reminding him to stay out of their mother's way. Jung had never understood that. In fact, he used to think that it was something wrong with So and that Yo didn't want him around, but now he wasn't so sure.

He couldn't even call his cousins… Baek Ah was always babbling about one of the dancers at the company, and Eun's last Instagram update was enough to scar him from life (a selfie of Park Soon Deok and him, announcing their coupledom), he wasn't touching that with a ten foot pole… though he would admit that it would be highly entertaining to be a fly-on-the-wall when Master Park caught wind of the news.

In any case, he needed a place of his own. And maybe a girlfriend… but he would settle for being a bit reckless…

Wang So kept driving around, a little too fast to be entirely safe but at least his reflexes weren't failing. That was the thing about his infamous temper, rather than make him see red or cloud his judgement, he became sharper and single-minded. He was not stupid, though, and he knew that this was not something his temper would solve. Soo would just hunker down and get difficult if he pushed.

He loved her, but the woman was so stubborn!

And it was so unfair! He wanted to savor each moment with his daughter, get her whatever her little heart desired and, yes, spoil her. It was his right to spoil his princess! Plus, Soo really had to understand the realities of their life. He was a chaebol, Seol was attending a school for rich people. Certain things were expected, and he could afford them easily, so what was the problem?

So yes, he was angry. At Soo, at his parents, at the universe. And at Soo – he hadn't wanted to admit it before, but he did resent that she had taken Seol away, that she hadn't tried harder to contact him, that because she wouldn't share her problems with him… he had missed out on Seol and the happy life they could have had together.

It was in the middle of these contemplations that a call came through, which showed up on the ID. like a hotel downtown.

"Hello?" An uncertain voice asked over loud music. "Is this Wang So?"

"Yes," He said curtly.

"I have your brother here on the bar, a little undisposed. He asked me to call you."

"Stupid Jung," So muttered under his breath. "I'll be there. Thanks."

.

Much was So's surprise when he walked into the bar and the person he saw slumped at the counter was not Wang Jung, reckless idiot extraordinaire, but-

Kang Mun Seong was in the middle of her fourth Soju bottle when her sister showed up.

"I talked to mother," her older sister said without preamble. "She's… not pleased."

"That's an understatement." Mun Seong said, unconcerned. Midway through bottle number two, she had gathered the courage to call her parents and tell them she had called things off with Yo. Her father rained insults on her, while her mother yelled about her duty to the family and eventually – with the courage of a fresh bottle of soju - and maybe a shot or two of tequila (which Soon Deok had given her, a while ago, because she was such a good friend!) – Mun Seong had gathered the courage to hang up on them.

"It's not a joking matter! They are talking about cutting you off! Disowning you."

"More for you then, congrats."

"He's meeting with his lawyer tomorrow!"

"It's his money, he can do whatever the fuck he wants for all I care. I can take care of myself."

"With what? Your little photographs? Without a husband? Do you know how much this place costs?"

"So I just should put up with whatever way Yo treats me for the rest of my life just so I can have a nice apartment? Nice things?"

"I'm just trying to point out what's in your best interest!" Mung Gong yelled.

"Like how you were always the first person to tell me when Hwangbo Yeon Hwa was in the country? Knowing how much that stressed me and hurt me?" Mun Seong actually snorted. "Dear unnie, you're not fooling anyone. My failing to marry Wang Yo is the thing you have wanted the most since Yoo Shin Myeong decided she didn't want you for daughter in law twenty years ago. You can stop pretending and enjoy your victory. Now, please leave."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

In the next chapter we go back to the Yo/MS drama... and some other things with So and Soo and BA!

 _ **Yo smiled and smoothed her hair back, "So, when we get married, do you want to go back to one of those places or go somewhere new?"**_

 _ **"Somewhere new, definitely." Mun Seong said, dropping her head down. "Marriage is like a stopping point and a starting place at the same time, right? Even after all this time, if we ever get married it will be the start of… something."**_


	15. Fifteen: Regrets

**Hello my lovelies!**

 **Here I am again, thanks to Sandy's help!**

 ***le sigh***  
 **So I'm kinda aiming to update at least once a month, hopefully twice but in all likelihood it will only be once a month. Sorry! Got more teaching hours at work so my days are a bit longer and fuller. On the other hand, better paycheck!**

 **Also, I'm pretty sure we are entering the the end of the story - I thought it would be shorter than 7 Days, but apparently not! LOL - I 'll try to get it done before the end of the year!**

 **Anyway, thanks for all your patience, and to Sandy for all the awesome vibes.**

* * *

 **Chapter FIFTEEN: REGRETS**

 **Present Day**

"Hyung?" Wang So asked as he came closer to the tall figure slumped against the bar.

"So-yah! What are you going here?" Yo asked loudly, and he nearly fell when he tried to step off the stool, falling back down into it.

"Driving you home, apparently. Or do you want me to call Mun Seong-ssi? Or drop you at her place?"

"She won't answer," Yo said, struggling to stand up and finish his drink at the same time.

Yo took advantage of his height and leaned on his younger brother, using So to prop himself up as they walked out and toward the parking lot. He collapsed on the passenger's seat of the car as soon as So opened the door and passed out.

Since So didn't want to deal with his parents in case they were around, he decided to offer Yo shelter for the night, and took him home.

Which was easier said than done as Yo was very uncooperative as So maneuvered him from the car to the house. Thankfully, So thought, Seol was not home as it wouldn't do for his small child to see her uncle this drunk.

"What the fuck happened to you?" So muttered as he dropped Yo onto the couch, heaving just a little. His older brother was heavier than he looked.

"I fucked up, So-yah," Yo slurred though So hadn't been expecting an answer.

"Yah, we have all gotten a bit drunk from time to time."

"Mun Seong broke off our engagement," Yo said solemnly. If it weren't for the fact that So had never seen it happen (not even when they were children) he would have sworn that Yo was about to cry.

"Kang Mun Seong has a soft spot for you, hyung, I'm sure she'll forgive whatever you did if you apologize," So said, trying to be comforting but feeling utterly lost.

"I don't think so," Yo shook his head miserably. "She said I make her sad."

-.-

 **One Year Ago**

"I think this is my favorite place we've visited," Mun Seong said, stretching contentedly as she and Yo relaxed in a hammock on the last day of their summer holiday.

"You say that about every place we go to." Yo's voice was low and rumbly in the quiet, sleepy afternoon.

"That's not true! I do like going to new places, but some are more special than others." Mun Seong countered as she propped herself up on his chest.

"Really?" He teased.

"Yes! The first place we ever went to together, that resort in Bali? That's special, even if you were either sulking or asleep during the first half of it."

"It was right after my father was released from the hospital, after the heart attack. I was exhausted."

"I know, that's why I dragged you there, even if you did sulk like a teenager." Mun Seong thought for a moment. "When we went to New Zealand that was special too. It was cute seeing you geek out about Hobbit town."

"Hobbiton." He corrected automatically, making her giggle.

"And last winter? In Switzerland?" She waved her hand, showing him the ring he had given her there. "Top ten moments of my life, easily."

Yo smiled and smoothed her hair back. "So, when we get married, do you want to go back to one of those places or go somewhere new?"

"Somewhere new, definitely." Mun Seong said, dropping her head down. "Marriage is like a stopping point and a starting place at the same time, right? Even after all this time, if we ever get married it will be the start of… something ."

-00-

 **Present Day**

Wang Yo woke up feeling groggy, disoriented and like there was a 50/50 chance the contents of his stomach would end up on the floor at any given moment. Righting himself, he found that he had been laying on a couch in an unfamiliar house. Somewhere in the distance he could hear So's voice, scolding someone… and a voice that sounded like Jung's answering back.

He vaguely remembered that So had picked him up from the bar the previous night, so Yo guessed they were at his house – the house So had bought when he found out about his daughter. Because that was his brother, the type to jump right in.

Groaning, he stood up and made his way toward their voices. He came across the kitchen and his two brothers.

"What the hell happened to you?" Yo asked when he noticed one half of Jung's face was black and blue. The sound of his own voice making him wince.

"I got into a bit of misfortune last night." Jung admitted, gingerly rubbing some ointment on his face. The smell of it made Yo gag.

"He got drunk with his friends from the gym and drove his bike into a post." So answered, passing Yo some hangover medicine and a bottle of water. "He showed up here at fuck-knows-what-in-the-morning."

"You're an idiot." Yo said, gingerly taking an empty seat at the table.

"That seems to be the consensus this morning." Jung said sulkily. "Idiots all around."

"You're lucky Seol was spending the night with her grandmother, or I would have kicked you both out." So said annoyed.

"What about Hae Soo?" Jung asked, perking up.

"She's not around either." So said.

"They're in a fight." Yo guessed and dropped his head onto his arms, willing it to stop pounding. So didn't confirm nor deny it; he just said he had to go to the office and reminded them to lock up when they left.

And much as it pained Yo to admit it, Jung was right: they were idiots all around.

..00..

 **Three Days Later**

Soo sat at her desk and sighed for the fourth time in the last twenty minutes, going through her tasks on autopilot, often pausing to ponder her current predicament with Wang So. It had been four whole days since their fight and they weren't speaking currently.

He still went to pick up Seol every morning, but other than asking if she was ready, he didn't really talk to Soo. And he hadn't shown up to her home after work like he used to, nor had he asked her to drop by his place – last night he had asked Baek Ah to take Seol with him and – according to what Seol told her that morning – the two of them had taken her out to eat pizza and then Baek Ah dropped a sleepy Seol home while So waited in the car.

It was infuriating!

The one who was supposed to be angry was her, not him!

Plus, Seol was noticing, or at least noticing she was sad and…

"Soo-yah." Madame Oh voice startled Hae Soo a bit.

"Yes, Madame Oh?" Soo answered, straightening her spine and trying to pretend she hadn't just been startled.

"I just wanted to remind you you have a meeting with Mr. Baek Ah and Ms Kim. I tried the intercom but it seems like it's not working."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'll go right now!"

Soo quickly gathered her things and rushed off to Baek Ah's office finding him fixing some flowers on a vase, humming to himself and pausing to arrange the refreshments on the table so all the edges matched. Their neatness was a trait he shared with Wang So.

"Oh, you're here," Baek A greeted her warmly. "Sit down, Woo Hee should be here soon. Can I offer you anything?"

"No," So said, melting into the couch.

"Oh, so you're like that too." Baek Ah pointed out, gingerly stepping over Soo to sit at the other end of the couch. "So-hyung has been terrorizing his employees all week."

"I wouldn't know. He's avoiding me."

Baek Ah shrugged. "He's just afraid."

"Wang So isn't afraid of anything. He is the bravest person I know." Soo jumped to his defense.

"Usually, yes, but he is a wimp when it comes to his emotions. You have to understand how life has been for him…"

"You mean the stuff with his parents and his… scar?"

"Yeah. Anyone would have kept him close and safe after what happened, but his father? He shipped him out to live with us. He was like a scared cat the first few weeks after he came home from the hospital. It took him a month to understand no one was going to attack him and that we liked having him around."

Soo nodded. So had slowly told her about it when they had first become involved. Soo remembered wanting to punch something when So finally told her the whole story behind the scar she had helped him to cover.

"Anyway," Baek Ah went on. "Though he was much better after a while living with us, So was always so serious. And when he started working for his father it was even worse. Until he met you. You're all he has ever wanted and that's why you're his biggest fear ever. He thinks that you're not into the relationship as he is and that he'll lose you and Seol-ie again."

"He knows I love him, or he should. And I would never take Seol away!"

"Except that you did."

"I didn't mean to! And I've been trying to be patient and make it up to him, but he overindulges Seol and then blows things out of proportion when I call him out for it."

"Well… that's him, alright. Go big or go home. I mean, his first proposal was over the top to the point of being gaudy."

"First proposal?"

"Oh, shit. I shouldn't have said that."

-000-

 _ **6 years before.**_

"You know, you could at least make an effort." Wang So said, looking with distaste as a half-dressed, probably still drunk Baek Ah ate ice-cream straight from the cartoon on the screen.

"I was at a party, but I left early just so we could keep this appointment." Baek Ah sulked. For as long as Baek Ah had been studying in Paris, he and So made a point of skyping each other once a week at the same hour, no matter what. Sure, they texted and talked on the phone on other days, but this skype call was their thing.

"Why are you half naked then?"

"Because my apartment doesn't have AC and it's hot as hell!" BA complained, then glared at So. "You look fresh. Wasn't there a heatwave in Korea right now?"

"There is," So shrugged. "But I chose to live in a building that was built in the last twenty years. My AC works perfectly. You're the one who chose to live his bohemian dream in the Latin Quarter."

"I'm just trying to get some life experience, Wang So." Baek Ah pouted. "These are my last months in Paris...I want to enjoy them fully."

"Clearly you are enjoying them now."

"YAH! Wang So! Don't mock me when I'm suffering!" Baek Ah yelled suddenly.

"SHHH! Soo-yah is asleep, you idiot!"

"Oh, the infamous Soo-ya," Baek Ah said, perking up. "Am I going to get to meet her this time?"

"I'm not going to wake her up for you." So said smugly, "But yes, you'll meet her soon. I'm taking her to Paris for your graduation."

"WHAT!"

"Keep quiet!"

"You're bringing her here?"

"Yes. I haven't asked her yet, but I already got the plane tickets and reserved the hotel."

"Wow, you're really serious about her, aren't you?"

"I am." So said. A soft smile was forming on his lips as he began to rummage through his desk. "This much," he added, pulling out a velvet-covered box and opening it to show Baek Ah the ring there.

"Omo!" Baek Ah nearly choked on his ice-cream but managed to swallow. "Wow, you – her- you're going to propose? Has your father met her? And your mother? My mother? Anyone?"

"Well, I'm sure father and my brothers have seen her around the office, and I think Mu knows I'm dating her. It's not like I'm very subtle I'm afraid." So laughed, remembering how Soo always complained he was too affectionate at work and was going to get her in trouble one of these days. "My mother doesn't care what I do, and Eomeoni has talked to her on the phone; they seem to get along but she has been too busy to come to Seoul and meet Soo in person. She did say she's happy if I'm happy."

"Daebak!" Baek Ah shook his head. "I can't believe it! I never thought- I mean, you guys have been dating less than a year!"

"I knew I wanted to marry her on our first date." So sighed. It had taken him almost a month to ask her out properly after she had taught him to cover his scar that day in early November.

He still remembered seeing her standing outside her building, wearing a puffy, white coat over warm tights, a flower-patterned skirt and a fluffy blue sweater, the winter sunlight shining on her black hair.

Wang So swore his heart skipped a beat when she saw him and smiled, dimples showing while her eyes turned into half-moons.

With a happy sigh of contentment, So refocused. "I have my proposal all planned, do you want to hear?"

"Might as well. Just tell me you're not planning on doing it at the Eiffel tower, please?"

So scoffed. "I reserved a suite at Le Bristol, and got a table at Epicure and the..."

-00-

 **Present Day**

"He was going all out, really," Baek Ah said. "And you missed out on that restaurant because it was delicious."

"You went?"

"I made So take me as my graduation gift. I wasn't going to let that reservation go to waste!" Baek Ah said, outraged. "Food was great, but it might not have been my best idea ever."

So had gotten very drunk afterward, and Baek Ah had to drag him up to his room and hear how much he missed Soo. It had been heartbreaking.

Hae Soo sniffled. "I'm sure I would have loved it."

"Yeah, well, Wang So has been planning his life with you since your first date: Overwhelming and a bit sappy? Yes, but it's also the kind of person he is. That's why he's having such a hard time letting go of stuff. But he will because he loves you; he just needs time."

-00-

Wang So stood up from behind his desk and stretched, going to refill his coffee cup as his mind wandered back to Hae Soo as it usually did when it wasn't drowning in work. He stared at the old coffee machine which he had moved from his old office in daily operations when he became CoO. It was the same machine Soo used years before, in her days as his coffee-elf when they first became close.

It was stupid sentimentality, and Mu had offered to get him a new one many times, but he didn't seem to be able to part with it because it reminded him of his happy past with Soo-yah.

The past he so wanted to get back to where he and Soo were together and happy.

"Well, at least you look as miserable as she does," A female voice cut through Wang So's reverie, and he found himself facing Oh Soo Yeon. Her voice was cold and her posture perfect despite the cane she used.

"Madame Oh, what brings you here?"

"My child is sad, and it's your doing. I thought I should at least make sure you're suffering like she is. Karma and all."

"You're harsh, Madame Oh, and matters between Soo-yah and I are only our own."

"I have little patience for the men in your family, but I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt since Hae Soo assured me you were a good man. Even when you were strangled, she never said anything bad about you. I didn't even know you were Seol's father until Geon tried to intervene." Madame Oh mused, helping herself to one of the visitor's seats in front of So's desk without waiting for an invitation.

"I'm not like my father."

"I hope so. Wang Geon could never admit when he was wrong or did something bad. He has a pathological need to feel like he's in control and would trample over the people he claimed to love in order to retain that power."

"It sounds like you know him very well."

Oh Soo Yeon nodded before adding: "Once I loved him too much, and he claimed to love me, just not enough. That love made us both miserable." Her voice was implacable. "I had hoped Soo-yah's fate with you would be different."

"I don't mean to hurt her, I want to make her happy, but she's-"

"Stubborn and scared. I guess you feel the same, don't you?" Wang So nodded and Madame Oh went on: "I'm not going to tell you what to do about it, as you said, the matters between you and Soo are only your own to figure out. But let me offer you a piece of advice: You might feel wronged – by Soo, your parents or by life – and you might even be right. But clinging to that righteous indignation will only make you miserable and lonely."

It was already making him miserable and lonely. Maybe Madame Oh was right.

Madame Oh nodded, feeling like her work here was done and stood up taking her leave only to run into Lawyer Park.

"Soo Yeon-ah!" Park So Kyung exclaimed delightedly. "What brings you here?"

"I was nearby and I figured I would tempt you with lunch if you're free." Madame Oh smiled and her whole face softened, like it usually only did for her beloved Seol. "What do you say?"

"I'd love to!" Lawyer Park said eagerly, passing the many files he carried to his assistant and asking him to put them in his office. "Here I was feeling all dejected because my Soon Deok-ah had cancelled our lunch plans when you arrived to make my day all better!"

Madame Oh laughed. "You exaggerate, but keep going," She said, taking the arm Park So Kyung offered and vanishing from sight.

Wang So looked after them, shaking his head at Lawyer Park's antics. He had never seen him like that. Someone he had never seen in his current state either was Wang Yo, who chose that moment to arrive at the office.

Yo looked rumpled and tired. His usually tailored suits had been replaced in the last few days by more casual pants and black shirts (which So was sure he was stealing from his own closet). Yo was listless and inefficient, showing up late to the office and leaving early.

So wasn't sure what was going on with him. All So knew was that the day after he had picked him up from the bar, Yo had shown up at his house and parked himself on the couch like that was his new habitat.

-00-

 **Three Days Before**

Once his stomach had settled enough, Yo had taken a cab to the bar and then drove home with Jung in tow. When he arrived, a box was waiting for him at the entrance hall table.

"It came for you last night," Jung told him (not) helpfully.

Yo suspected he knew what it was. His stomach dropped again while his heart started to beat faster. Opening the lid, the first thing he encountered on top of a pile of documents was the ring he had given Mun Seong almost two years before.

The floral halo ring was classic art deco with clean lines but also oddly romantic. Mun Seong had worn it everyday since he had put it on her finger. She had been so happy with it, that he had gone back the next day to purchase wedding bands that would match the ring for when they eventually got married.

Yo plucked the ring from the box and closed the lid once more, sliding the ring into his pinkie-finger, feeling bereft all over again like he had when Mun Seong had walked away from him. He picked up the box and started to go up to his room when he was interrupted by his mother, who requested he come to her private sitting room.

Yoo Shin Myeong was simmering with anger and disapproval.

"I had a call from Minister Kang this morning," she said.

"I can imagine," Yo said, staring at the ring.

"That foolish girl! She seemed so docile as a child and I thought she was the better choice. I didn't expect her to turn out this stupid and disgraceful."

"Don't speak like that about Mun Seong, Eomeni."

"Don't you dare defend her! She has disgraced her family and ours too!"

"I'm the one who made the biggest mistakes."

"You are Wang Yo, son of Wang Geon and Yoo Shin Myeong! The honor of marrying into this family should have kept that girl in check! It should have made her overlook whatever is that you did."

"Mun Seong doesn't care about things like that."

"Clearly! Damnation! I should have picked Mun Gong; that girl is ambitious enough to keep her role and see things through."

"I would rather die than marry Kang Mun Gong."

"Yah, don't make that face. Minister Kang won't allow it and neither would I after this. So tell me, who will it be then? The Hwangbo girl? I used to think she wasn't good enough but Hwangbo Holdings is doing all right these days, and she does have the poise and class, and the connections. It wouldn't be a terrible match."

"Eomeoni!"

"Don't use that tone of voice! We need to fix this before the committee gathers to vote on who the next chairman will be. Plus, you are almost thirty five! If you don't marry quickly… more rumors will come up."

"I don't care about the rumors, mother! All I want is to be left alone, is that too much to ask?"

"I don't know why you're reacting like this," Yoo Shin Myeong said, miffed, annoyed and offended. "I'm giving you exactly what you wanted. I will let you marry that Hwangbo girl-"

"You don't know anything about me or what I want," Yo said, abruptly, standing up. "It has never mattered to you what any of us wanted or needed."

"All I have done, all my life, is to look out for the wellbeing of my sons!"

"Really? Should we ask So what he thinks about that?"

"Don't mention that mistake to me! He was always your father's-"

Yo simply turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

-0-0-

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry! no sneak peek because it doesn't exist yet!**  
 **LOL**  
 **Buuuut I can say that some fluff is on the cards for SOME people. Others will continue to be miserable!**

 **Take your guesses!**


	16. Sixteen: Surprise Turns

Hello everyone!  
:) I'm sorry I'm a bit late with this months' chapter but alas, such is life.  
Thanks for your patience.  
And to Sandy for the infinite patience and all!

* * *

 **Chapter SIXTEEN: SURPRISE TURNS**

Hae Soo managed to keep it together long enough to have a productive meeting with Woo Hee and Baek Ah, though in the back of her mind she kept thinking about So and what Baek Ah had told her. Wondering what would have happened to them if So had really proposed six years ago; the things they would have done; maybe Seol would have a sibling or two by now.

And when she thought about it that way, she could understand Wang So's impatience a little better. Maybe it was up to her to call him so they could fix things and she could explain her side of things.

After the meeting, she made her way back to her office, already dialing his number. To her surprise, he answered right away.

"Hey, do you think we can meet?"

"I'm on my way to a very important meeting," So answered.

"Oh," Maybe he was angrier than Soo thought. "Okay, just… let me know… We need to talk."

"Sure," He said, before disconnecting.

Soo sighed… and proceeded to collide straight into a solid form, the scent of peonies enveloping her as a pair of arms went around her to steady her.

"You really need to watch where you're going, sweetheart." So said, a smile in his voice.

Hae Soo stepped back and glared up at him. "You said you were heading to a meeting!"

"A very important meeting," So agreed. "And what's more important than you?"

Soo still glared. "Don't get cute with me."

"I can't help it. It's my natural state," So said, wrapping an arm around her and handing her a large bouquet of pink, white and yellow peonies.

"What are you doing here?"

"Like you said, we need to talk," So guided her to her office and closed the door behind them. "And I also needed to apologize for being such a stubborn fool."

"I've been stubborn too," Soo admitted, burying her face in the flowers. She enjoyed their scent, trying not to think that they must have cost him a small fortune, as they were not in season.

"Let's call it even, then."

Wang So took possession of Soo's desk chair, and sat with her on his lap, keeping her close. "God, I missed this," He said, nuzzling her neck.

Soo shivered, "Wang So, may I remind you we are at my place of work so you better keep your hands to yourself."

"I'll behave." He answered, running his hand down her side and not behaving at all.

"I'm sorry we made a mess of things," Soo went on, ignoring his inquisitive fingers. "I might have blown it out of proportion a bit with you overindulging Seol."

"I do over indulge her. I can't help myself, she's my baby. But I shouldn't make unilateral decisions about her. I imagine it's hard to share her with me now. Until a few months ago, you were her sole parent, after all."

"Actually, I like that we have you to depend on," Soo admitted, leaning against him. "These past few years, not having someone to share the happy and the worry? That was very lonely. I think I missed you the most when I was the closest to being truly happy, because I knew I couldn't full be since you weren't with us."

"I'm with you now, and I'm not going anywhere," So vowed. "We already had our messed up-and-apart phase, I just want to get to the happy-and-together phase when I can come home and see my loves there. You and Seol are everything to me."

"I want that too," Soo smiled briefly before going on. "I'm still scared though, that it will all go away someday. I mean, we almost had it all once before and…"

"We were young and stupid and didn't hold on tight enough. Let's just leave it at that. Now we know what it's like to be without each other, and I don't want to go down that road ever again. So I'll be good, I promise."

"You are good," Soo grabbed his face and kissed him playfully. "The best."

So stole another kiss before reaching for a pen and a blank sticky-note from Soo's stash near her computer monitor and began to scribble on it. "So you see I'm serious," He said and read out loud: "Here by Hae Soo and Wang So promise not to let their tempers get on the way of being a couple and a family, by never going more than twenty four hours without speaking, even if they are mad at each other."

"Twenty four hours is too long," Soo said, taking another pen and crossing over that. "Twelve hours tops! So you better get over whatever pisses you off quickly."

"Right back at you, sweetheart," So said before beginning to scribble again. "We also promise to consult each other in all matters regarding Seol, especially whenever it involves spending money for a non-essential item or service."

"How much money are we talking about?"

"Say… more than a million won?"

Soo glared, not sure why a five year old would ever need a million-won anything, but guessing that was as good as she was going to get from Wang So – for him that was probably a low threshold anyway.

"Fine."

"Lastly, Wang So agrees to stop complaining about living arrangements in front of Seol, if Hae Soo agrees to discuss moving in together for real, three months from now."

"That's too little time! I need at least a year!"

"Six months, that's all you're getting," So countered.

"Deal," She agreed, watching as So signed his name at the bottom of the note and then waited until she did the same.

"Now that's taken care of, why don't we go pick up our baby from the Dojang and spend the afternoon together?" So asked.

"Hey! That's true, you were supposed to be with Seol right about now!"

"Your boss offered to pick her up and take her to the dojang herself. Something about spending time with her grandchild."

"Madame Oh? Really?"

"Yeah, she came by the office today. Did you know she's dating Lawyer Park?!"

"What?!"

-00-

Back at the Park Dojang, Wang Seol was immersed in her class, forgetting that her grandmother was sitting with the other parents and everything else… until she noticed the arrival of two someone's midway through class.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her Umma and Appa moving along the side of the room, toward Halmeoni, and taking seats next to her. Seol hadn't seen her parents together in what seems forever (around a week), and she couldn't stop herself from jumping up and waving at both of them.

"Miss Wang!" Master Park admonished. "Pay attention!"

Seol turned her round eyes on him. "Yes, sir!" She said, taking her spot next to her classmates, who had already moved to the next formation, but still turning to her parents and waving again when Master Park turned around.

Usually, Seol wouldn't have dared – as Master Park was very strict and even a little scary when he taught (not like Soon Deok-ssi who was very funny) – but she had just seen him get all googly-eyed at her Halmeoni, and there was no turning back from that.

Once the class was over, Seol rushed towards her parents.

"Umma! Appa! Did you see me?!" She asked, bouncing up and down.

"You were really good, princess." So said, picking her up. "But you have to listen to Master Park and pay attention, okay?"

"I know," Seol answered, lowering her head and tucking herself under her father's chin. "What did you think, Halmeoni?"

"Well, it's no ballet," Madame Oh said with a smile, "but if you like it, I suppose it's all right."

Park Soon Deok smiled widely at her father's girlfriend as they sat having dinner together at her father's favorite restaurant. When she and Eun had dropped by the dojang to finally talk to her father about their relationship, Soon Deok had been extremely nervous and Eun had been no better.

But when he got there, it had been to a smiling Park So Kyung, who was talking to Wang So, Seol-ie and Hae Soo… and with them was a woman Soon Deok had never seen before, but who stood close to her father and smiled gently at him.

Once Wang So and his family had excused themselves, Soon Deok saw her chance and pounced on her father, who stammered when he introduced Oh Soo Yeon as "his lady friend" and blushed.

"Why don't we all go out for dinner!" Soon Deok said immediately. "It will be like a double date!"

"Double what-now?"

"Double date!" She went on enthusiastically. "Eun-ah and I are officially dating, Appa!"

"Honey Bear!"

"That sounds lovely," Oh Soo Yeon interrupted.

And now here they were! Sure, her father was glaring and Eun was sweating, but so far this was going a lot better than Soon Deok had ever hoped. Plus, Oh Soo Yeon was turning out to be very interesting.

-000-

In all honesty, Wang Yo was in no mood to leave the house – no matter that it was his younger brothers' house and not his own – but Jung had been bothering him to go out, and Yo was a bit sick of sitting on So's couch watching dramas on TV and thinking of Kang Mun Seong.

They hadn't spoken in nearly two weeks. It was the longest they've gone without speaking since they had gotten together five years ago...and Yo felt lost.

They didn't even have friends in common he could bother for news about her and he had resorted to stalking her on social media a bit—not that he had been very successful as the woman rarely posted anything that was not work related.

Yo was distracted at work, miserable at home and he knew it was all his own damn fault. Hence, he was currently out, drinking with his youngest brother at a loud bar he wouldn't have set foot in otherwise.

"Come on, hyung! Cheer up!" Jung said idiotically as he handed Yo another beer.

Yo ignored him and took a swig of his beer, already craving something stronger and signaling the bartender for it.

"You should at least eat something," A new voice said, and Yo cursed inwardly.

"Yeon Hwa-ssi!" Jung exclaimed like this was such a happy coincidence while Yo turned to him and glared. "What a surprise!"

"Jung, cut it out," Yo snapped, keeping his gaze straight ahead. Now he knew why Jung had bugged him so much about coming to this specific bar.

"Oppa, don't be like that," Hwangbo Yeon Hwa laughed airily, pressing closer to Yo. "Jung-ah, would you mind giving us a few minutes?"

Jung grinned stupidly and disappeared as if by magic.

"What do you want, Yeon Hwa?" Yo asked, refusing to see her.

"We need to talk," She said, her voice losing a little of the earlier sweetness and flirtatiousness. "You've moped for long enough; we need to make plans."

"There are no plans I want to make with you. In fact, I don't want to see you ever again."

Yeon Hwa went on like he hadn't spoken: "Your mother and I have been talking, and we agree that we should wait about another month or so before announcing our engagement and set a wedding date for within the next two or three months. It will be a little rushed but-"

"Yeon Hwa," Yo finally looked at her. "Listen to me carefully: I'm not marrying you. Not now, not in three months, not ever."

"Don't be an idiot! You need this wedding if you want to get control over the Taejo Group! You lost the support of the Parks, you need me."

"I actually don't," Yo said slowly. "I never did. It just took me a ridiculously long time to realize it. It cost me losing the person I truly needed…"

Yeon Hwa snorted. "What? Do you pretend to tell me you have feelings for Kang Mun Seong?"

"She is the best thing that ever happened to me, but I was too stupid to realize it." Yo said, draining the last of his drink and standing up. He dropped a few bills onto the bar counter and turned to leave like Yeon Hwa wasn't there.

Done being ignored, Yeon Hwa reached out to stop him, her voice rising in volume suddenly: "Don't you dare walk away from me, Wang Yo!"

Yo shrugged her off. "Don't touch me," He said, his voice turning menacing, like it did when he had to intimidate someone during his business dealings. He became both cold and detached, and a little bit frightening. "In case you didn't hear me before, hear me now: I don't want anything to do with you. EVER! Maybe you succeeded in driving Mun Seong away from me with your untimely announcement at the party, and I certainly was an idiot to let you wrap me up into it—for even going!—but there is no power in this world that will compel me to be in the same room with you ever again."

Yo stalked off, not noticing how quiet the bar had gotten in the middle of his 'talk' with Yeon Hwa, or the many phone cameras pointed at them, recording everything for posterity, or the fact that some of those cameras belonged to a few society reporters Yeon Hwa had invited herself in order to start the rumors about their relationship once more.

All he cared about as he walked away was the slight vibration that alerted him to a new message reaching his inbox: A press release from Kang Mun Seong's agent that was mass sent to all her business contacts. Intrigued by the subject – The Han Sui Agency Congratulates Photographer Kang Mun Seong…- Yo clicked on it and another piece of his world crumbled:

 **"The Han Sui Agency congratulates Photographer Kang Mun Seong on joining the faculty of the prestigious Hong Kong College of the Arts as a guest lecturer for the upcoming year, teaching various courses at their Visual Arts and Media Department."**


	17. Seventeen: Almost Gone

**Hello everyone!**

 **I'm very sorry for the big delay, the end of the year was pretty busy here and I was a bit uninspired, but I am determined to finish this! I think that after this we'll have one, maybe two chapters and an epilogue, so I'm really going to start wrapping up things for now!**

 **Thank you so much for your patience, and to Sandy for being extra awesome (and extra patient) with me! I'm already writing the next chapter so I hope it does not take as long to be up!**

 **Hope you have an awesome week!**

* * *

 **Chapter SEVENTEEN**

 **Almost Gone**

Present Day.

Wang Seol was on a mission. A very important one, and the perfect opportunity had just presented itself. It all started when she had spent the night at her Appa's home a couple of days ago. Her uncle Yo had been there and he… he just wasn't the same as before. She thought that maybe her auntie Mun Seong was sick because Uncle Yo got very serious when she asked after her.

Seol had decided then and there that she needed to cheer him up. So she had spent the better part of her recess at school making the best drawing she had ever done – if she said so herself – of the day her aunt and uncle had taken her out to eat. She had made sure to draw Auntie's long hair, and her fancy dress; uncle Yo's suit and even the potato fry that Auntie had fed him.

And she conveniently happened to be at her Appa's office, under the care of his secretary – that odious man who kept telling her not to go this or that way, that her father was very busy and told her not to play with her Appa's office chair. Now, all she had to do was sneak out, find her uncle's office and then sneak back into her father's office. Easy peasy.

-00-

Kang Mun Seong looked around her empty apartment and sighed. Since she had managed to sublet the place for exactly twelve months – the amount of time she would be in Hong Kong – she had to clear out most of her possessions, just leaving behind the most basic furniture for her tenant.

Soon Deok and her new boyfriend (plus Jung) had come help her pack her things into boxes, and then move the boxes into storage at the Park Dojang, where they would stay for a year.

Part of her knew she should just sell everything, make a clean break and try to settle down elsewhere. Especially since, by the time she came back, Wang Yo would probably be married to Hwang Bo Yeon Hwa. But she would not let them run her out of her city. She would come back in a year, if only to sell her apartment and make more long-term decisions.

But for now, a year in Hong Kong licking her wounds sounded just like what she needed.

"So you really are leaving." Her sister's voice came from the door. Kang Mun Gong looked as beautiful as ever, but a little subdued.

"Hello, Unnie," Mun Seong answered, hoping this wouldn't deteriorate into a nasty fight like last time. She was tired, sober and did not want the last words she would speak to her sister face-to-face (for a year) to be in anger. "And, yes. I'm leaving next week."

"I didn't think you would go through with it. I thought you would have taken Yo back by now."

"I have a little more self-respect than that, Unnie. And not that it matters, but he has given no indication that he wants to be taken back." Saying those words stung, but they were true and the more she got used to them, the better off she would be in the long run.

"Oh, he wants you to take him back, believe me." Mun Gong said, digging through her purse for her phone and then tapping on it rapidly. "Check your phone, little sister."

With a sigh, Mun Seong pulled her phone out, noticing the various messages her sister had sent her since the previous day. She reluctantly clicked on a link Mun Gong had sent her to a well-known tabloid, which immediately began to play a video.

000

Staying at Hae Soo's apartment wasn't ideal or entirely comfortable, but Wang So didn't mind so much after a while, as being with Soo and Seol trumped everything else. They still went to his home sometimes, mostly when Seol asked about her uncle, who was still sleeping on So's couch – and to his credit, Yo tried not to mope too much when Seol was around.

But most of the time, they were at Soo's place now, which So was ready to milk for all it was worth in a few months – when it was time to discuss moving together – he wanted to buy a new, bigger house, closer to Seol's school… one that had room for their little family to grow. He just needed to play his cards right.

"All right, my princess, we're going to get you into some PJs and then we'll take our medicine," So said soothingly one day as he unlocked the door to Soo's apartment.

He had been called to Seol's school to pick her up, as the little girl had thrown up twice and the school's doctor determined she had a throat infection and thus couldn't remain at school.

"Umma?" Seol asked, still in So's arms, spying a lump on the couch. A lump that, at the sound of their voices, started to cough.

"Soo-yah?" Wang So set Seol down and went to see.

"Mmm?" She mumbled. "Hi! What are you doing here?"

"Seol-ie is sick. Just like you, it seems."

"There's a bug going around at work," Soo coughed. "I was sent to the doctor and then home."

So leaned down next to her and pushed the hair off Soo's face, which was sweaty and splotchy. "All right, sweetheart, we're putting you to bed as well."

Over the next few minutes, So ran between Seol's room and Soo's, making sure they got into their PJs and then brought Seol to Soo's bedroom to tuck them both in and give them their medicine; he was happy to be able to take care of them.

"You'll get sick too," Soo said a while later as So sat at the edge of the bed. He was rubbing Seol's back after a coughing fit, to soothe her back to sleep. "You should go home."

"I am home," So said happily. "Wherever you and Seol-ie are, that's home." He added, leaning across the bed to kiss her forehead.

"Don't, I'm sweaty." Soo giggled, and managed not to cough too much in the process.

"I think she settled down again." He said after a while. "I'm going to go make you girls some porridge."

"Do you even know how to make porridge?"

So shook his head, "Nope, but it can't be worse than yours."

"Yah! You said you liked it!" Soo said indignantly while So made his way to the kitchen, laughing the whole way.

-000-

All in all, Kang Mun Seong would have preferred an intimate dinner with her friends rather than this farewell party her agent had thrown together for her, but she knew it was a networking opportunity so she put up with it. The only one of her friends who showed up was Soon Deok – and that was as Wang Eun's date, since technically he was a business contact as she had done elaborate pictorials for his toy catalogue every year since he launched his company. But at least she had someone to talk to...which she needed badly when her agent came to tell her that one of the interns had accidentally added someone to the guest list.

"All right, please don't get angry or anything, but…"

Her agent didn't need to finish; she saw Wang Yo's name on the list right away. "I see."

"I don't think he'll come," her agent went on hurriedly. "Or I can tell the people at the door not to let him in if he comes…"

"No. That'll only make a big scene, if he even comes."

"Right...he probably won't though, right?"

"Even if he does, I'll be okay." Mun Seong said, lying through her teeth but what else could she do?

"Right. I'm glad." Then some minor crisis with the catering company called her away and Mun Seong was left with Soon Deok and Eun once again.

"Do you think he'll come?" Soon Deok asked her boyfriend.

"Hard to say," Eun said thoughtfully. "I haven't seen or heard much from him lately, so I'm not sure how he's doing really. Only what Jung tells me."

"What does Jung say?" Mun Seong asked softly.

Eun paused thoughtfully. "I know he's living at Wang So's, and that he's in the middle of a big fight with Aunt Shin Myeong. Well, another one… she wasn't pleased about the vid-" Eun was interrupted by a sharp jab to his abdomen delivered by his girlfriend.

"It's okay, Soon Deok-ah, I know about the video. Mun Gong showed it to me."

Soon Deok rolled her eyes. "Your sister is something."

"I actually think she meant well… this time."

Then Eun got his breath back and began bickering with Soon Deok, and Mun Seong was able to laugh for a second and get distracted.

And, in the end, all her worries were unfounded.

Yo never came.

-00-

Wang Yo felt like a stalker.

In all his life, he had never behaved this way. Knowing she was leaving soon… it was driving him crazy, but he also didn't know what to do about it or how to approach her. He had even gone to her farewell party but couldn't bring himself to actually talk to her. He had lurked for a while and then gone home before she realized he was there.

Yo wasn't even sure when she was leaving exactly, which somehow made it all worse.

So now he was in his office, getting absolutely nothing done when his phone rang, and he saw it was his cousin Wang Eun. Yo let it ring, not in the mood to talk to anyone, but only a few seconds after it stopped, the ringing started again.

"What is it?" He said into the phone with displeasure.

"Hyung, hello."

"Get to the point, Eun."

"Fine. I don't know why I'm even calling…" Eun mumbled before clearing his voice. "Look, I'm not sure if it's my place to tell you this, but Jung and So swear you have been moping so-" there was a pause. "First, understand that Soon Deok can't know that I told you, all right?"

"What is it?" Yo said, perking up a bit. If it was something Park Soon Deok didn't want Eun to tell him specifically, then it was most likely related to Mun Seong.

"Kang Mun Seong is leaving today. Her plane leaves at 2PM."

"Today? 2 PM?" he repeated dumbly, reality hitting him at once. Glancing at the clock on the wall. "Text me all the details you have." He said quickly, not even bothering to say thank you and hanging up as he reached for his keys.

-000-

Kang Mun Seong had never thought the airport would bring up so many memories. How many trips had she taken with Yo? Even if many of their holidays had been born out of guilt when his work or Hwangbo Yeon Hwa had kept him away from her, whenever they traveled, Yo was all hers.

The first time she had taken him away, he had been so angry – she had overheard him talking on the phone to his cousin Wang Won, complaining about how she was keeping him from his work when the company was just getting over a crisis – but he had come around, and over time those holidays had become _their_ thing.

In all honesty, this was her first time ever traveling alone.

With a deep breath, Mun Seong took one last look at her phone – right after that stupid party, Yo had called her nonstop, but after she had ended things there had only been radio silence. Part of her wanted to believe he was respecting her wishes, but there was another part of her that felt… disappointed.

Shaking her head to rid herself of such thoughts, Mun Seong took hold of her carry-on and began to tow it toward the boarding area… only to collide into Wang Yo, who was panting and a little disheveled, and a sudden image of how he looked when they had sex flashed through her mind, coloring her cheeks against her will.

"I thought I wouldn't make it on time." He said as his arms reached out to steady her, or to keep her at arm's length, she wasn't sure.

"How did you- What are you doing here?"

"I had to give you something before you left." One hand went to the pocket of his suit-jacket, while the other slid down her arm, cupping her hand and turning her palm up. "This is yours." He added, dropping a glittering ring into her palm.

"You paid for it, it's yours." She attempted to give it back, but his bigger hand closed around hers, trapping her erstwhile engagement ring between her fingers.

"I bought it for you, and I can't bear the thought of someone else having it."

"You can't say things like that to me when I'm leaving." Mun Seong said, a note of desperation in her voice.

"You're right, I should have said things like that all the time before..."

"You wouldn't have meant them, and that's even worse."

"Maybe not at first. But I have felt it for a while. I was just too much of an idiot to acknowledge it. That's on me. I'm sorry."

Mun Seong stared at him, her eyes filling with tears she had sworn not to cry anymore. "I told you not to say things like that, you prick!" She sobbed, going as far as punching him on the chest, with the ring still clutched on her fingers. Turning to leave. She really, really was going to leave now…

But, of course, Yo had to pick that moment to pull her back and wrap his arms around her. "I am a prick, a selfish bastard and everything else you want to call me, and I ruined things between us… but I do love you and I'm incredibly sorry I never made you feel like you were the best thing that has ever happened to me, because you are."

Then he stepped back, pushed her new bangs aside and placed a heartbreakingly tender kiss on her forehead. "Now go, show everyone how amazing you are, while I try to win you back."

That last bit was said with some of Yo's usual arrogance and it was enough to make her snort a laugh. "You wish."

"I do."

-000-


	18. Eighteen: White Flag

**Chapter EIGHTEEN: White Flag**

Kang Mun Seong felt nervous but excited as she made her way to her new office at the university. She had arrived in Hong Kong two days before, and spent the weekend organizing her things in the faculty apartment she had been given near the campus. It was a bit cramped and the decoration dated, but that was okay. It was her own space and she was going to make it work.

Plus, being busy kept her from overthinking her last encounter with Wang Yo. Wang Yom the prick, who had shown up at the airport and said all the right things and didn't try to hold her back...instead claiming he was going to win her heart back. But Mun Seong wasn't quite sure that was possible, but he might as well try… part of her was curious about what an interested Wang Yo was like.

Well, she was about to find out.

Upon opening her office, she was greeted by a huge floral arrangement sitting on top of her desk. Vibrant red and purple flowers with touches of yellow and white.

"It arrived for you earlier, Miss Kang." Jen Zhao, her teaching assistant said, popping out from behind the flowers and handing her a small, sealed envelope.

Inside, there was a brief handwritten note: Good luck on your first day. Love, Wang Yo.

It was Yo's handwriting too, which meant he had personally written it and sent it to Hong Kong in time for her first day.

"Secret admirer?"

"Not secret, just recent." Mun Seong smiled, giving into the temptation and pulling her phone out to text Yo. To her surprise, there was already a message from him.

 _WY: Did you like them?_

 _MS: How did you know where my office was before I did?_

 _WY: Won found out for me._

 _MS: Stalkerish much?_

 _MS: …_

 _MS: They are beautiful. Thank You._

 _WY: Good luck today. 3_

Mun Seong gasped when she saw the heart emoji. Yo hated all those cutesy things. He had told her so himself when they had started dating.

"What's wrong?" Jen asked, concerned.

"Nothing, just the mighty falling." Mun Seong smiled, closing the messaging app without answering. Let him suffer a bit.

That marked the start of Yo's wooing strategy. On Monday mornings, she always got flowers. On Wednesdays, it was usually some sort of food-related treat: chocolate, fruits, her favorite snacks from Korea. And on Fridays, an actual letter.

The first one had been a confession on how he had missed her letters when she stopped writing to him when he was in the military, but that he had been too proud to admit it, and that he still had all her letters.

Sometimes he wrote about the past, and their moments together. He also wrote about the things he had loved about her but never told her, the things he wished they had done together, or just shared memories. Other times he asked her how she was doing, what she liked or disliked about Hong Kong.

He always signed off saying he loved her… but so far she had left him wondering if she would ever say it back…

-00-

 _ **Four months later…**_

Slowly, Hae Soo rose from Seol's bed and turned on Seol's night lamp which casted countless stars into the walls of her room, making sure not to wake her daughter as it had taken her almost an hour to get her to sleep. Lately, Seol had these days where she would be out like a light, and others when she refused to go to bed unless a large list of demands was fulfilled (glasses of water, stories told by both her parents, a stop by the bathroom, more water, that Soo sang her a lullaby, and so on).

Quietly, Soo closed the door to her daughter's bedroom and stretched, moving toward the living room where Wang So sat. A pile of documents was scattered all over the table in front of him and some on the couch he occupied. A deep notch had formed between his brows as he read something on his laptop.

Still, at the sound of her footsteps, he looked up and smiled. "Did you get her to sleep?"

"Yeah," Soo smiled back. "Do you want to be distracted or should I take myself to bed as well?"

"No, please! I beg you, distract me." So answered, already clearing some papers next to him so she could sit. To his surprise – and delight – she ignored the empty space next to him and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a long, playful kiss.

Giggling when they broke apart, Soo said, "You looked like you needed that."

"I did." So hands played with her hair and moved down her back.

"What are you working on?" Soo rested her head against his shoulder, making herself comfortable.

"We have to submit our final proposals before the board in a week, and I'm trying to figure out how I want to spin this."

"You don't sound very excited about it."

"I have my doubts."

"You would be good at it," Soo said with conviction. "You're good at managing people, and have an awesome brain for strategy."

"Thank you, sweetheart. But there's also the fact that if I do this and win… well, there are mountains of work involved. Lots of time I would have to spend away from you and Seol-ie. And when I think about that, I'm not sure I want to do it."

"Well… You know I'm on your side no matter what."

"That's the only thing keeping me sane." So said, trailing kisses all over her face.

"Mmm, it sounds to me like you need a bit more distraction." Soo said, straightening a little, and changing her position to straddle So's legs.

"I like how you think," So said, holding her as he stood up with Soo in his arms and began to stride toward their room.

"You know, we had a perfectly good couch right there."

So ignored the comment. Even if Yo had finally moved out, it would be a while before he stopped associating that couch with his brother. Hell, maybe he just needed to bite the bullet and tell Soo they needed to buy a new house… but that would be later… right now they were about to get very busy.

-000-

The hot shower had done wonders to ease Yo's aching muscles. He had taken to spending a lot of time at the gym since Mun Seong left, as the physical exhaustion helped him fall asleep at night, rather than staying up and pining after her.

He missed her more than he ever thought possible. It was like he had lost a limb or something, which was very odd because it wasn't like they lived in each other's pockets – which just went to show him how much he had taken her for granted. He was, like she had told him before, a prick.

But he was working hard on righting those wrongs.

Over the last few weeks, Mun Seong had started answering his letters, texted him back more often than not, and they had even had had some long talks on the phone. It had started when she called him, about two months after she left, asking if he could find some documents for her – some medical records and the last renewal of her passport - and send them to her in Hong Kong.

Next thing he knew, he was on a plane to Hong Kong to deliver them himself. Mun Seong had been surprised but hadn't put him on the next plane back to Seoul. Instead, they spent the weekend together sightseeing, hanging out, and talking.

These days, he made his way to Hong Kong every other weekend just to spend a few days with her. It wasn't perfect, and sometimes it was awkward, but it was worth it.

But now, he had other issues to contend with: namely, the selection of the new president of the Taejo Group. He had to submit his final proposal in a few days, but he knew it was all moot. He didn't have his mother's support anymore, which left him in a vulnerable position...and that was even if he still had any supporters left. If Mu won, Yo was fairly certain he would be fired from the company.

Part of him almost wanted it. It would give him more freedom to spend time with Mun Seong, and as he had his own investments and money that weren't tied up to the company, he would be fine. But another part of him hated losing.

All he could do now was to write up the best proposal he could and see where things landed. But first, he needed a drink, Yo thought. Not procrastinating at all, he made his way to his fridge, smiling at the drawing of Mun Seong and him that day they had taken Seol to eat those awful, awful burgers.

Soon after Mun Seong left, he had found it on his office desk. It was his niece's attempt to cheer him up. When he moved to this new place, it had been one of the first things he had set out.

-000-

Wang So dropped a kiss on Hae Soo's lips as he walked in late one night a few days later, and quickly washed up while Soo re-heated his dinner, sitting next to Seol who was busily coloring something, all her 72 colors spilled onto the table.

"What are you doing, Princess?" So scooted closer to his daughter and gave her a side hug, kissing the top of her head.

Seol snuggled for a second before resuming her coloring. "It's a drawing for Uncle Yo." She answered, humming to herself in concentration. "He has a lot of toy soldiers in his office."

"I know. He used to let me play with them when I was your age," So said and grew quiet, then a little broody.

Soo shrugged. She noticed that he had been like that as the day for the board meeting approached so she left him in his thoughts; instead, Soo focused on getting Seol ready for bed.

As he sat at the table, not really tasting the food, So kept thinking of his brothers and those toy soldiers. Of how it had been growing up together and what had drove them apart...and not for the first time wondering if it was all worth it.

Suddenly, he stood up and grabbed his keys. He had some places to be. "Soo-yah!" He called out. "I forgot something at the office. I'll be back."

-00-

The Headquarters of the Taejo Group was quiet as Wang So made his way up to the C-Suite, where there was still a light on in one of the offices. This was not surprising as the board would meet in the morning to hear out the proposals and elect the new president of the company.

"Finalizing stuff for tomorrow?" So said from the door of his brother's office, where Yo sat behind his massive desk. His coat and tie were long discarded, and his shirt-sleeves were rolled up.

"Someone has to," Yo said without lifting his gaze from the papers in front of him. "I might not have a job after tomorrow, but I don't like to leave stuff unfinished."

"Responsible as always. Do you think it's a big-brother thing?"

Yo shrugged. "What do you want, So?"

"I was remembering some things earlier. Like that time when we were little and you were doing your homework and Jung and I were playing hide-and-seek. I went to tell you I couldn't find him, and we spent an hour looking for him, only to find him asleep under father's desk."

"Only you would play hide-and-seek with a toddler," Yo shook his head. "I had to stay up until midnight to finish my homework, because you and Jung insisted on helping me but you two just started jumping on my bed while I tried to work. I can't believe you remember that; you must have been six or seven."

So shrugged. "Or that time you gave me a flashlight and your Gameboy and locked me up in the closet when I was, like, five? You told me to stay quiet and that you would be back, but you took forever and I ended up falling asleep and drooling on your school shirt."

"I was surprised when I opened the door and you were just sprawled all over the floor. I always wondered why you didn't start to make a ruckus."

"I knew you would be back. And I knew you were hiding me because mother was in one of her moods."

Yo's expression darkened at the mention of their mother. "This has been a fun trip through memory-lane, but what's your point?"

"We were close once," So said, finally coming into the room and sitting in front of Yo. "You were my favorite person in the world back then."

"Yeah, well, nothing was ever the same after Mother hurt you." Yo looked away and So's eyes widened. It was the first time anyone in his family referred to his mother's attack as something other than an "accident". Even Baek Ah called it so. "You were in the hospital for weeks, and then Father sent you to live with our aunt. And you seemed to prefer hanging out with Mu afterward, anyway."

"I didn't really. I didn't know him very well back then. He was, like, sixteen and very serious. I kept wishing you would visit me at the hospital."

"Don't be silly. They wouldn't have let me in." Yo went back to his documents, not really reading them anymore.

That's when he heard a soft, metallic thud on his desk and looked up to find a two inch tall toy soldier, much like the ones behind him, holding a flag. "You came anyway."

"What-"

"I couldn't remember for the longest time. I was either out of my mind with pain or loopy from the meds at first...so I thought I had just dreamed you were there. I didn't even notice this was on my bedside table at the hospital until I was discharged, and I've kept it hidden ever since. I thought I had stolen it from you and that you would be mad so that's why I never gave it back. But you put it there, and you said it would kept me safe."

Yo picked it up, turning it over. He hadn't seen it in over twenty years. "Did it?"

"I want to think so. Our aunt took good care of me, I was safer and eventually happier living with her and Baek Ah." In fact, he had gone over to his aunt's house before coming to the office, to dig through the few boxes he had stashed there from childhood in order to find this keepsake.

"Then I'm glad."

At the same time, the elevator dinged and opened its doors to reveal a very tired looking Mu. "Good, he's here." He said, "I need to tell you two something."

-.-

The atmosphere in Yo's office was hostile. The two eldest Wang Brothers were not happy to be in each other's company, and So wondered if they had EVER been close, like he and Yo used to be...or if they had been put at each other's throats since birth.

Knowing his parents, So could guess.

Still, he needed to make them listen to him.

"I don't want to be president of this company," So said as an opening. It was enough to get Yo and Mu to stop glaring at each other and to turn towards him.

"What're you talking about?" Yo demanded.

"I don't think any of us grew up dreaming to become the president of the Taejo Group, to be honest. I don't know about Mu, but Yo wanted to be a fireman when he was little."

"Really?" Mu asked, surprised.

"That's not the point," Yo snapped, but his cheeks turned a little red so Mu guessed it was true. "You've been working for months to earn the position, just like the rest of us!"

"I did what was expected—and I did it only to punish Father for a while. But I don't really care for the job. I don't think any of us do. If it weren't for Father pushing for one of us to be named president, I think we would've all been happy to keep working together. We're good at it."

"You can't run a corporation as large as the Taejo Group without a president, So," Mun said, using the Oldest Brother tone.

"But we did it. We took decisions as a council for two years when Father had the heart attack, remember? Under very dire circumstances and with a lot less experience, we successfully ran this company."

"It was necessary at the time," Mu countered.

"It was the most profitable period this company had seen in almost fifteen years. It went down when Father came back as President and pushed us to our current positions."

"Is that true?" Mu asked, turning to Yo who also served as the CFO.

"Yeah. Father never let me put it in the quarterly reports though. How did you know, So?"

So didn't answer. Instead, he countered with another question: "Why do you think he did it? For some reason Father thinks the best way to run this company is if we're at each other's throats all the time and doing things his way. But we're doing just fine doing things our way. Each of us is good at something. Mu is good at being the public face of the company, keeping up the morale and soothing investors. I'm good at long term strategy and daily operations. And Yo is better than anyone at keeping track of every single won that enters and leaves the company."

"I like math," Yo said defensively.

"And you're good at it. And sure, we could all do each other's jobs, but would we do them as well? I hate talking to investors. I'm competent at math, but I don't have a spreadsheet for a brain like Yo does."

"Not to mention the amount of work involved for a single person," Yo said, toying with his favorite fountain pen. "I always thought it wasn't very time efficient."

"Exactly! This company consumed our father's life. I don't want it to consume mine. I want to be there for my daughter, I want to know her and I can't do that living the way father did. And, sure, I could take my money and leave, but this is our legacy."

There was a silence. Mu was a family man who resented the time he had to spend away from his children as his responsibilities grew. Furthermore, his wife had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and he wanted to be there for her.

"Say we agree..." Mu started. "Father will never allow it. There's a reason why he'a always pitted us against each other: survival of the strongest."

"That's wrong though," Yo said pensively. "The actual evolutionary rule is 'Survival of the fittest.' Fit and strong aren't always the same thing."

"Yes!" So said enthusiastically. "And we don't need Father to agree," So added. "The three of us, plus Jung, are the biggest shareholders of the Group. Eun's grandfather and Baek Ah's parents can be reasoned with."

Yo nodded. "Father couldn't make us back down if we wanted to move forward together. They would at least have to listen. But we would still need to convince every other member of the board."

"Baby steps, Yo, baby steps."


	19. Nineteen: Reaching for the Future

**So... here it is! the end!**  
 **I hope you guys enjoy this last chapter! I hope to come back soon with new projects and I hope you guys stick around to read them.**

 **Thank you so much for all the support, and thanks to Sandy for all her awesome and all her help**

* * *

 **Chapter NINETEEN:**

 **REACHING FOR THE FUTURE**

 **6 Months later…**

Hae Soo stared at the pink stripe in the little window, feeling how the axis of her world started to shift once again. This, at least, was a exam she always seemed to ace. The two times she had taken it in her life, the little pink stripe had shown up – almost alarmingly fast, like she was not only pregnant but REALLY pregnant.

It was all Wang So's fault!

Wang So! She had to tell him now! And Soo wasn't sure how he was going to react, he had been so busy lately and-

And she was lying to herself...the idiot would be over the moon at the idea of another baby. He adored Seol and had been hinting heavily at expanding their family. Well… he was about to get what he wanted, as usual.

"Soo-yah? Are you alright?" Woo Hee's worried voice came from the other side of the bathroom stall.

"Yeah, I'm positively fine," Soo said, unlocking the door and waving with the stupid pregnancy test wand in her hand.

"You're pregnant! I knew it!" Woo Hee said exuberantly, throwing her arms around Soo. It had been Woo Hee's insistence that had taken them her to this bathroom stall after Soo had been 'sick' with a 'stomach bug' the last couple of weeks, feeling tired, sore and craving weird food combinations.

Today while they had been out for lunch together – to discuss the budget for the Traditional Dance Company's upcoming season – Woo Hee had gently asked if Soo was sure she wasn't pregnant after Soo had asked the waiter to bring her some mustard for her dumplings. Soo hated mustard.

Woo Hee had dragged her to the pharmacy on their way back and then locked her in this stall until she took the test.

"This is great!" Woo Hee said excitedly.

"Yeah, great." Soo said, thinking of the upcoming months of sore boobs, weird horny periods and nausea. At least this time Wang So would suffer them with her, she would make damn sure of it!

They were then interrupted by a loud series of beeps coming from Woo Hee's phone. "Sorry, I got bored and there was another test in the box."

"You got bored?"

"You took forever!" Woo Hee said, reaching back toward the sinks where another pregnancy test was waiting, flipping it over and showing it to Soo. "See? When you have responsible sex you don't have to worry about-" She cut herself off, noticing how Soo's eyes had widened, and kept staring fixedly at the test.

"You might want to check that, dear."

Woo Hee turned the test around, coming across a vividly pink stripe in the middle of the window.

"This can't be."

"Responsible sex, uh?"

"Shut up!" Woo Hee said. "This is wrong, so clearly wrong! We need to buy another one. I'm sure this is just a false positive or something. Those things happen, right?"

"They do" Soo singsonged, "but it's easier to get hit by lighting than to get a false positive."

"Don't look so pleased with yourself, Hae Soo."

"What can I say? Misery loves company."

"I'm going to kill Wang Baek Ah!" Woo Hee said, storming off in the direction of her boyfriend's office.

By the end of the day, it was legend among the staff of the National Dance Company how the Traditional Dance Company's principal dancer had stormed into the artistic director's office and threw a pregnancy test at him, hitting him square on the face and told him he was dead man.

* * *

Wang So arrived home in a good mood. It was usually the case lately, since he had convinced his brothers to go against their father and took control of the company and the board. They had given the brothers a two year period to try out their idea; afterward they would vote on changing the company's constitution to eliminate the figure of "President" so that they could continue running the company together.

Their father had been livid, and currently wasn't speaking to any of his sons – even Jung, since he had sided with his brothers, but at least that had finally pushed him to move out of their parents' home, and into Eun's spare bedroom. And what Wang Geon hated even more was how little his sons seemed to care about his approval.

"Soo-yah, I'm home!" He called out, entering the house they now shared full time. Once Soo's lease had come for renewal, she had simply let it lapse. She had decided that she and Seol spent much of their time at So's place anyway and it made more sense to just move in.

"I'm in the living room!" Soo called back.

"Hello sweetheart," So said, leaning down to kiss Soo who was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, which was currently covered with books. "How was your day?"

"It was okay."

"Did you hear about Woo Hee and Baek Ah?" So asked, dropping onto the couch.

"Yeah," Soo smiled a little. "It caused quite the stir in the company."

"Baek Ah is terrified, but he'll come around," So declared.

"At least Woo Hee isn't having many symptoms," Soo said, rubbing her own stomach which was lately upset at all hours of the day.

"Poor Soo-yah." So said, lifting her and settling her on his lap to cuddle her close. "Is your stomach still bothering you?."

"Yeah, about that… I made an appointment with the doctor for next week, do you think you could come?"

"Of course, but isn't a little far ahead?"

"Well, as it turns out, I'm not exactly sick, but I do need to see a doctor soonish."

"What do you mean?"

In answer to that, Soo stretched out to reach for her purse which was sitting on the side table and extracted an object, showing it to So. "Woo Hee wasn't the only one taking a test today."

"Is that...? It's positive...?" So asked in amazement.

"Yeah." Soo answered, watching him as he froze and a myriad of emotions crossed his face. She was just starting to get worried when he suddenly hugged her tight and began raining kisses all over her face.

"This is the best news I've ever gotten," He said in between kisses, nuzzling her neck.

Soo couldn't help giggling. "I'm glad you're happy."

"How do you feel? Do you need anything? Have you told Seol?"

"I thought we could wait a little before telling her, and I'm perfectly fine – other than the nausea and soreness." She sighed.

"We should go out to celebrate. The three of us, even if we don't tell Seol yet."

"Sure," Soo answered, easing off his lap and watching as he went to tell Seol – who was playing outside- to wash up because they were going out for dinner.

"You shouldn't be sitting on the floor," He said when he came back.

"Oh, it's fine. I just need to put these away." Soo motioned to the books.

"But you said you wanted to re-read them before you started classes next month."

Soo shrugged. "I'll call the university in the morning to tell them I'll be pulling out after all. I'll ask if we can get the tuition money back too."

"Why? You were so excited about going back to finish your degree."

"I figure it would be okay since Seol is starting elementary school soon, and I would have time to go, but with a new baby? I just don't-"

"No," So said firmly, sitting next to her. "You are not deferring school because of the baby. You already put everything on hold once because of Seol-ie, I don't want you to do it again."

"It's all right, I'll just finish a little later." Soo said, trying to appear cheerful but So didn't buy it.

"No," So repeated. "Look, we'll hire a nanny, a housekeeper, maids, anything and everything you need so you have enough time to do this."

"I don't want Seol or the baby to be raised by nannies and housekeepers!"

"And they won't be. You'll be here; I'll be here. Just that this way you won't have to worry about cooking, or cleaning the house-"

"You already have a cleaning service."

"- and there will be someone to pick up Seol, drive her places, and just watch over her while you study. It will be fine."

"So-yah-"

"We'll move closer to the university, and to Seol's school. You'll let me buy you that car we have talked about and-"

"All that will be very expensive."

"We have the money for it. Look, my family's money has made life difficult for us before; let it make it easy now."

* * *

 **One _Week_ Later**

Wang Yo laid in bed, listening and watching as Mun Seong got ready for work. She was rushing frantically about, mumbling about how she was late, and it was all his fault. Yo couldn't feel contrite though; not when the reason she was late was because of really good morning sex.

Yo got distracted, thinking back to the way they had woken up, only to be brought out of his pleasant reverie by the sound of a camera taking a photograph.

"Hey!" He said.

"I don't even want to know what you were thinking," Mun Seong said playfully, showing him the picture.

"I could show you."

"No thank you, I'm late already!" She added, sitting on the bed. "Will you pick me up for lunch?"

"Of course."

Just then, Yo's phone vibrated on the night table and he reached for it.

"What is it?"

"So is having another baby," Yo said, showing her the picture of the ultrasound So had sent to every one of their relatives.

"Oh, that's lovely." Mun Seong cooed at the picture.

"Speaking of which, when are we going to have babies, Mun Seong?"

"What?" Kang Mun Seong yelped, startled. They had only recently started sleeping together again. Up until two months ago, Yo still stayed at a hotel whenever he visited.

"I mean, I'm not getting any younger and-"

"Yeah, I can see you've let yourself go completely," She teased, running her hand down his chest. He had told her that he spent a lot of time in the gym these days – to deal with missing her, he said - and she definitely appreciated the results.

"I'm serious."

"I know," Mun Seong sighed. "But I'm very late right now. Can we talk about this later, please?"

"Fine, but you can't put me off forever."

She leaned down to kiss him. "My class ends at 11:30."

"I'll be there."

* * *

Kang Mun Seong barely made it in time for her class. Her students were already piled inside the class room and her assistant Jen had already loaded their various pictures into the laptop in order to project them onto the screen.

Since classes were ending early today because of the big faculty party later that night, Mun Seong decided to take the day easy. She critiquing the latest batch of photographs and assigned a new subject for next week.

They were in the middle of the lesson as Mun Seong was talking about composition and how to play with the size of the objects that were being photographed, and then she asked Jen for the next image.

"Now what can you tell me about the perspective in this image?"

There was an excited chatter among the students before one of them raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Han?"

"Who's the hunk, Miss?"

"Hunk? What?" Mun Seong turned, to find a huge picture of Yo on the screen. "Oh! Never mind that!" she said, blushing. Even if they couldn't see it, he had been kinda naked when she had taken that and just remembering it made her flustered. She wildly signaled for Jen to move on to the next picture, making her students laugh.

The next picture came up and Mun Seong sighed with relief. She never quite got them back after that, but at least she managed to keep a semblance of dignity for the rest of the class.

Until class let out and as her students filed out—they ran into Yo waiting outside the room. They pointed at him and giggled.

"Do I have something on my face?" He asked when Mun Seong came out, grabbing his hand and walking quickly.

"No," she said, turning the corner and looking both ways, happy to see her students weren't lingering. "Everything is fine! And I'm starving."

They walked hand in hand to the outdoor-food market near the school.

"You know, Mun Seong, I've been thinking, about what we were talking about this morning."

"Yes?"

"I know you like living here and working for the university... if you want to stay, if they offer you a more permanent job...I can make it work. I could set up an office here."

"Would you do that for me?"

"Of course. I mean, most of my work is done behind a desk; I can put that desk anywhere, and I choose to put it wherever you are."

Mun Seong smiled. "I'm not sure what I want, actually. I do miss home, but I am happy here."

"Just keep it in mind. Whatever choice you make, it's fine with me."

She leaned in to kiss him. "I love you, Yo," She said, hugging him in the middle of the street. "Thank you for saying that."

Sure, their relationship wasn't perfect. They were still working on it, but they both wanted to make it work, and they made an effort not to leave things unsaid between them, recognizing that had been the source of many of their problems: neither of them was very comfortable expressing how they felt, but they knew they had to.

"I love you too," Yo said, hugging her back.

* * *

Author's Note: Hello, thank you for making it this far!

Officially, this is the end, but there will be a short epilogue coming soon!


	20. Twenty: Epilogue

**Thank you so much for sticking to this story until the very end.**  
 **Hopefully, the next project will come along shortly, though Sandy and I wanna build in a bit of a cushion before posting.**

 **Thanks to Sandy who is awesome and so patient, and to all of you :)**

* * *

 **Epilogue**

 **One Year Later**

It was perfect weather for a wedding: early in spring when the sun was shining but wasn't so overwhelming that you couldn't stand being outside; the flowers were blooming and new greenery seemed to sprout from the earth each time you turned around.

All the guest had taken their seats, and everything was ready for the ceremony to begin.

Dressed in a pink and white hanbok and looking like an adorable spring fairy, Wang Seol walked the length of the aisle, throwing flowers and petals just so and smiling as a string quartet played Vivaldi's Autumn. Once she reached the end of the aisle, Seol quickly stepped aside, and ran over to where her father was standing.

Awkwardly, Wang So leaned down and easily lifted Seol with his free arm, settling her on his hip. He made it look effortless but only because he had done this very same maneuver countless times in the last few months. It took a lot of practice but he was able to pull it off without disturbing the sleeping baby on his other arm. Wang Hee Yeon (named after Soo's beloved mother figures, Hae Myung Hee and Oh Soo Yeon) went on sleeping through it all, contentedly drooling on the shoulder of her father's expensive suit.

Once settled, So turned to watch the Park Soon Deok escorting the smiling groom, taking their position to the left of the aisle. Behind them was the bride, escorted by Hae Soo.

"Halmeoni looks pretty," Seol whispered. "Umma too."

"They sure do," So whispered back, turning his face just enough to kiss Seol's temple as Oh Soo Yeon and Hae Soo reached the front of the aisle and took their positions on the left.

Once everyone sat down again...

"This is the strangest wedding I've been too," Wang Yo murmured to So's left.

"Don't tell me, Soo and Soon Deok planned the whole thing," So murmured back, earning himself a sharp look from Soo who was just within hearing range.

The wedding of Park So Kyung and Oh Soo Yeon turned out to be a bigger affair than either bride or groom had intended or anticipated, but their daughters had been determined to make it special. Which was how they ended up with this hybrid ceremony – kinda Korean, kinda western, and strange, as Yo said. But so far, it was lovely.

Wang Mu was acting as MC – as he had known Park So Kyung the longest out of the Wang Brothers, it had seemed fitting – and conducting the ceremony efficiently.

* * *

When Oh Soo Yeon had proposed to Park So Kyung six months ago, she had never imagined this wedding party would come to pass. She was well past fifty, and too old for all this pomp and circumstance; not to mention that her groom had already been married once.

But Hae Soo and Park Soon Deok had joined forces and there had been no stopping them. She had complained all throughout the process… but on this sunny day, she had to admit she was very glad.

"Would you dance with me?" Park So Kyung asked a bit shyly next to her.

"Of course," She smiled, giving her leg a little shake.

Last year, she had gone through surgery to remove some of the scar tissue from her long-ago accident which was causing her problems moving her knee. Park So Kyung had been with her every step of the way, taking care of her in the hospital, driving her to her rehabilitation sessions and helping her with the exercises when Soo couldn't do it (which was most of the time since by then Hae Soo had been seven months pregnant; Soo had a huge belly and was prone to crying lags).

It had been after one of those rehabilitation sessions, when exhaustion and a bit of frustration had made her a bit waspish during the ride home that Oh Soo Yeon realized that Park So Kyung never waved or flinched in his care for her. Even when she knew she was not the easiest of patients.

He was always kind, always gentle, and always by her side. She had mulled it over as she made her way toward her bed, using her crutches, and he ran around getting things ready for her to settle down – fluffing pillows, opening the drapes, making sure the remote control and a glass of water was within easy access of the bed.

"Do you need anything else?" He asked kindly, not once looking at his watch, though Soo Yeon knew he was probably late for work.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something," She said, before she could think it over and talk herself out of it.

"What do you need?" He asked, gingerly sitting on the edge of her bed.

"That you marry me?"

Park So Kyung had been shocked and speechless for three seconds, but the beautiful smile that broke over his face was worth the wait for his answer...which had led them to this moment as they walked slowly to were other couples were dancing.

Slowly because, even though she could now walk without her cane, he was still so careful with her. After leaving Wang Geon, Oh Soo Yeon had never thought she would ever fall in love again, and not with a man like Park So Kyung...who was nothing at all like her first love… and wasn't that the best thing about him?

* * *

"This cake is amazing," Soon Deok exclaimed, happily wiggling in her seat while next to her Wang Eun pouted. "I don't know where Soo found this confectioner, but I'm his biggest fan."

"Yah! Park Soon Deok! Don't say things like that in front of your boyfriend!" Wang Jung admonished.

"Eun-ah knows I love him," Soon Deok said, sticking her tongue out at Jung and turning in her seat to face her boyfriend… only to encounter the most disconcerting combination of a pout and a frown on his face. "Yah! You look just like Seol-ie when Soo tells her she can't have more sweets," Soon Deok laughed.

"It's the face we Wangs make when we want something we can't have," Eun said somberly.

"But you can have more sweets! I'll bring you a slice of cake if you want! I was just about to go any-" Soon Deok trailed off, as Eun's expression grew frownier.

Jung smacked his forehead with his palm before saying "It's not about the cake!" Shaking his head like she was something really quite hopeless, Jung decided to leave the table altogether.

"What got into him?" Soon Deok looked as Jung walked away.

"Yah! Soon Deok!" Wang Eun said impatiently. "When are we going to get married?"

"What?"

"We have been dating for over a year! And everyone is getting married but us! When we were the ones officially dating first! Even Kang Mun Seong let Yo-hyung marry her and you-"

"Well, technically they were dating before us. And the timeline with Soo-unnie and So-oppa is a bit dicey-"

"They broke up! So you have to start the count again, everyone knows that!"

Soon Deok shrugged "I don't know. I've never broken up with anyone since I've only ever dated you, and we are never breaking up."

"Don't say cute things to me like that!" Eun said, his frown starting to fade.

"I wasn't being cute," Soon Deok said, licking some icing from her spoon. And that really was too much for Eun, who leaned over and kissed her.

"You are always cute to me," Eun said, resting his forehead against hers as they came up for air.

Soon Deok rolled her eyes at his corniness but giggled at his sweetness and relented. "Fine! You can ask Appa for permission to marry me once he comes back from his wedding trip, okay?"

"Really?"

Soon Deok gave him a quick peck. "Really."

* * *

"Don't you wish we had had a big wedding like this?" Yo asked Mun Seong.

"Not really," She said, leaning into his shoulder as they danced. "Eloping with you was fun and efficient. And it made our parents angry, so it was a win-win."

"I honestly think my mother thought I would let her plan the society wedding of her dreams," Yo commented, pulling her a bit closer.

"Mine too," She smiled, snuggling in and blinking sleepily. Something about the heat made her so sleepy lately; she was glad he was such a good dancer that he could lead her comfortably. "Good thing they aren't talking to us again."

"Yeah," Yo smiled. Their parents hadn't taken it well when they had moved out of Seoul three months ago.

Mun Seong had been contracted to be a featured photographer for all the publicity promoting PyeongChang before the Winter Olympics. If they liked her work, there was a good chance she would be named one of the official photographers for the games, which was very exciting for her career.

Yo had followed her there and set up an office in one of the Taejo Group's subsidiaries in PyeongChang and aside from his work as CFO, he was also supervising the various contracts their company had with the city of PyeongChang and the Olympic committee.

And they were happy living there by themselves, slowing down and just enjoying this new stage of their lives together.

* * *

Kim Woo Hee couldn't help smiling as she saw how Baek Ah goofed around with their daughter, holding the baby in the crook of his arm and swaying her in time with the music playing.

She hated to admit it, but the man was the only one capable of quieting down their often-mercurial daughter – who could go from smiling angel to screaming banshee in just a few minutes and without warning – but she was a daddy's girl through and through.

"See, all ready for her nap!" Baek Ah whispered triumphantly; he never once stopping his swaying.

"I still don't know how you do that."

"It's easy: all women love me," He grinned, dancing closer to her. "Even you."

"Yah! Don't get too full of yourself," She complained but accepted the kiss he planted on her temple.

"Baek Ah!" his cousin Wang Won yelled, running toward him only to earn himself very fierce glares from the couple. "What?!"

"If you wake up my daughter, I'll tell So-hyung you dropped Hee Yeon!"

Won scoffed. "I'm not even allowed to pick up the baby: who would believe it?"

Baek Ah rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Say, do you know that girl with the clipboard?" Won pointed.

"That's impolite. And yes, she's Miss Chae, Madame Oh's second secretary. Hae Soo asked her to coordinate the event today; why?"

"Do you think you could introduce me? She's cute. And she's the only one in this party who isn't taken nor can she put me in a headlock or bench press me."

"Even Woo Hee bench presses more than you," Baek Ah snorted. But he did notice that most of the female guests had the build of athletes and were probably part of the dojang and friends with Soon Deok.

"Fine. Just don't say anything stupid, okay? You always put your foot in your mouth," Baek Ah said, passing his sleeping baby to her mother.

"Yah! Wang Baek Ah, is that the way to speak to me?! I am older than you!"

"Do you want me to do this or not?"

Won quickly looked around, noticing that all his cousins were with their girlfriends or wives. Even Jung was chatting up some girl from the dojang he hadn't seen in a while. "Okay, fine."

* * *

"I think the party was a success," Wang So said later that day as he drove home, every so often checking in the rearview mirror to see that his daughters were safely strapped into their car seats.

"Yeah, I'm glad I was able to plan this for Madame Oh," Soo sighed happily, having kicked off her heels and wiggling her feet. "She looked so happy today."

"So did Master Park," So agreed. "Life is funny, isn't it? They have both known my father for years, but never met until Seol-ie and you came back to Seoul."

"Love arrives exactly when love is supposed to," Soo quoted a poem she had heard somewhere.

So reached for her hand, bringing it up to his lips as he nodded. The more he accepted that, the happier he was. "The girls are pretty worn out, aren't they?"

Soo turned in her seat as much as she could since So hadn't let go for her hand. "Yes. I don't think they'll wake up until it's time for dinner."

"Then what do you say if we go home, turn on the hot tub and soak in it for a bit, maybe have a little fun?" He added, wiggling his eyebrows and making Soo laugh.

"It sounds lovely," She sighed, "but I have to study...my exams are coming soon, you know?"

"C'mon Hae Soo! Live a little… you know you want to."

"I do but-"

"I'll rub your feet and quiz you later if you want."

"Really?"

"Really."

"And take care of dinner?"

"Sure."

"Deal!" Soo said, leaning over the gear-shift to kiss So noisily, giggling the whole time.

* * *

Author's note:

Thanks for reading till the end!

Also, the next project is officially called **Somewhere in Time** and it's a do over type of story, I hope you guys can read it when it comes out.

 _Here is a tid bit:_  
 _Ha Jin was sure, so sure, this had all happened before, but she also remembers Seoul and waking up from a comma she had yet to fall into. Time was a confusing, messy loop that left her stranded somewhere in the Goryeo period, where the first king Taejo was still ruling._

Thanks again!


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